Migrant deaths and disappearances at sea surge on dangerous route to Spain

The number of migrants who died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea last year was more than double that reported a year earlier, a rights group said.

Research by the Caminando Fronteras, or Walking Borders, charity showed at least 6,618 died or disappeared, including 384 children, while making the journey to Spain in the past 12 months.

Data shows 2,390 died or disappeared in 2022.

Helena Maleno, co-ordinator at Caminando Fronteras, said last year’s figure was shameful and blamed the increase on a lack of resources for rescuers.

A record number of migrants travelled to the Canary Islands last year.

More than 6,000 of the recorded deaths took place on the Atlantic route from Africa to the islands.

Many of those who attempted to reach Spain using that route were from Senegal, where political unrest and rising food prices have caused thousands to flee.

The 1,600km journey from the African country usually takes about a week of difficult sailing upwind.

The Canary Islands have become the target destination for those fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa, with most travelling on overcrowded and dangerous vessels that lack the necessary supplies of food and water for the journey.

“The Atlantic route has become the deadliest in the world,” Ms Maleno said.

The Canary Islands are about 100km from the north-west coast of Africa.

Boats depart for the islands from countries including Morocco and The Gambia.

The number of migrants who arrived illegally in Spain surged last year, with the Interior Ministry recording 56,852.

That was the highest number since 2018, when 64,298 migrants entered the country.

Madrid in October pledged an aid package worth about €50 million ($54 million) to help authorities tackle the surge in migrants making the journey, which it described at the time as an “extraordinary migration flow”.

Spain has also increased its co-operation with Senegal and Mauritania to try to stop boats carrying migrants from leaving for the Canaries.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said those efforts helped to stop more than 27,000 migrants from reaching Spain last year. “We have saved lives,” he said.

The International Organisation for Migration said more than 1,200 migrants died or disappeared last year while trying to reach Spain.

But it said its figure was probably “considerably” below the real tally, given the difficulties in documenting shipwrecks and the fact that most bodies are never found.

The UN agency bases its tally on press reports and indirect accounts of migrant journeys.

More than 6,000 of the deaths recorded last year happened on the Atlantic route from Africa to the Canary Islands