Rabat — More than 10,400 migrants, including over 1,500 teenagers, died or disappeared at sea this year trying to reach Spain, according to a new report by Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras.
The grim toll, averaging 30 deaths daily, marks 2024 as the deadliest year for migration to Spain on record.
Helena Maleno, the report’s coordinator, called it “an inadmissible tragedy” and blamed the failure of rescue and protection systems. “Protecting the right to life must be our first priority,” she said, urging stronger search-and-rescue operations.
The report shows that women (421) and children (1,538) made up a significant share of the fatalities.
Most of the deaths (9,757) occurred along the Atlantic route from northwest Africa from Morocco to the Canary Islands. This path remains perilous, with migrants braving rough seas in unsafe rubber boats with little food or water, and no protection against cold weather.
The Canaries recorded over 60,000 irregular arrivals by mid-December, a 14.5 percent rise from 2023. Local officials are overwhelmed, especially with the care of unaccompanied minors.
Spain’s King Felipe VI called for coordinated efforts with transit countries. “How we handle immigration will reflect the quality of our democracy,” he said in his Christmas address.
For many in Morocco, poverty and limited opportunities leave little choice but to embark on these dangerous journeys.
Maleno warns that without urgent action, the death toll will continue to rise.
But despite the risks, the Atlantic route grows increasingly popular, drawing those desperate for a chance at a better life.
