MADRID (AP) – More than 10,000 migrants have died this year trying to reach Spain by sea, according to a report released Thursday by a Spanish migrant rights group.
That means, on average, 30 migrants have died every day trying to reach the country by boat this year, said Caminando Fronteras of Walking Borders. The overall number of deaths increased by 58% compared to last year, the report added.
Tens of thousands of migrants will leave West Africa in 2024 for the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago near the African coast that is increasingly being used as a stepping stone to mainland Europe.
Caminando Fronteras said most of the 10,457 deaths recorded up to December 15th occurred along the so-called Atlantic route, one of the most dangerous routes in the world. said.
The organization compiles figures from official statistics on migrant families and rescued people. The dead included 1,538 children and 421 women. The report said the months with the highest number of deaths were April and May.
Caminando Fronteras also noted the “sharp increase” in boats departing from Mauritania in 2024, making Mauritania the main departure point for routes to the Canary Islands.
In February, Spain pledged 210 million euros (about $218 million) in aid to help Mauritania crack down on smugglers and stop boats from taking off.
Spain's Interior Ministry announced that more than 57,700 migrants had arrived in Spain by boat up to December 15 this year, an increase of around 12% compared to the same period last year. Most of them came via the Atlantic route.
