Migrants risking their lives to enter the country is not just a UK problem. It is a problem all over Europe, but more so in countries with sea borders.
It was reported by Caminando Fronteras (a migrant rights group) this week that at least 10,000 migrants died or went missing trying to reach Spain by sea in 2024, more than 50% more than last year and the most since records began in 2007.
The increase includes over 1,500 children and 400 women
The group used data from hotlines set up for migrants on vessels in trouble, families of migrants who went missing and official rescue sources.
The use of flimsy boats, increasingly dangerous routes, and the capacity of maritime rescue services are reasons Caminando Fronteras account for the surge in deaths.
The victims were from 28 nations, mainly in Africa, with the vast majority of the fatalities on the Atlantic migration route from Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, which has received a record number of migrants for the second year in a row.
The problem is that the Canaries are just 100 km from the North African coast, with the shortest route being between the coastal town of Tarfaya in southern Morocco and the island of Fuerteventura in the Canaries.
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands is dangerous for the migrants to attempt because of strong currents.
Along with Italy and Greece, Spain is one of the three major European gateways for migrant arrivals. According to the interior ministry, over 60,000 migrants entered Spain unofficially between 1 January and 15 December – a 14.5% increase over the same time last year, with over 70% landing in the Canaries.
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