In a devastating report that underscores the mounting humanitarian crisis of maritime migration, the NGO Caminando Fronteras revealed Thursday that at least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while attempting to reach Spain by sea in 2024 – a staggering 58% increase from the previous year and the highest number since the organization began tracking such data in 2007.
The grim statistics paint a harrowing picture of human desperation: an average of 30 lives lost daily, including 1,538 children and 421 women. These are not mere numbers, but individual stories of hope, fear, and ultimately, tragic loss.
Helena Maleno, the organization’s founder, condemned the systemic failures that have transformed maritime routes into deadly passages. “These figures are evidence of a profound failure of rescue and protection systems,” Maleno stated. “More than 10,400 people dead or missing in a single year is an unacceptable tragedy.”
The Atlantic route to Spain’s Canary Islands has emerged as particularly treacherous, accounting for 9,757 of the total fatalities. Located just 100 kilometers off the North African coast, the archipelago has become a focal point of this humanitarian crisis. The route’s deadly nature is exacerbated by strong currents and increasingly dangerous maritime conditions.
Migrants from 28 different nations – predominantly from African countries, but also including individuals from Iraq and Pakistan – continue to risk everything in search of safety and opportunity. Official data from Spain’s interior ministry indicates 60,216 migrants entered the country irregularly between January and mid-December, a 14.5% increase from 2023, with over 70% arriving in the Canary Islands.
The spike in fatalities has been attributed to multiple factors, including the use of increasingly fragile vessels, more perilous migration routes, and insufficient maritime rescue capabilities. Caminando Fronteras compiled its data through a combination of migrant hotlines, family reports, and official rescue statistics.
Even on Christmas Day, the human tide of migration continued, with seven migrant boats landing in the archipelago – a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian challenge that shows no signs of abating.
As Europe continues to grapple with this complex issue, the human cost remains devastatingly clear: each statistic represents a life cut short in the pursuit of hope.
