Summary
Over 10,000 migrants died in 2024 trying to reach Spain by sea, primarily via the perilous Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, according to Caminando Fronteras.
This marks a 58% increase in deaths from last year, with children and women comprising a significant portion of the victims.
Most boats departed from Mauritania, now the main launch point.
Spain has invested €210M to curb human smuggling in the region. Despite these efforts, over 57,700 migrants successfully reached Spain this year, a 12% rise from 2023.
That’s a little more than 27 people every single day. More than one, every hour, of every day of the year.