Over the past two days, over 550 migrants have landed on Spain's Canary Islands via sea, with Spanish maritime rescue services confirming the grim discovery of at least one deceased person onboard. The Canary Islands, located off northwest Africa, remain a popular and perilous destination for migrants, particularly from West Africa, seeking to cross the Atlantic. Statistics from Spain's Interior Ministry indicate that in the first half of January alone, 3,409 migrants arrived in Spain by sea, most through the Canaries, mirroring last year's figures.
In 2024, Spain experienced unprecedented arrivals of over 61,000 migrants by sea, with nearly 47,000 reaching the Canary Islands, including thousands of unaccompanied minors. Migrants often undertake lengthy and treacherous voyages to circumvent security measures. Many begin their journey from Mauritania, a primary departure point for those attempting to migrate to Europe via this hazardous route.
The European Union's border agency, Frontex, noted an 18% increase in crossings on the Atlantic route, attributing this rise partly to the increasing number of departures from Mauritania. Though recorded figures from the International Organization for Migration indicate at least 5,000 deaths or disappearances since 2014 on this route, advocacy group Caminando Fronteras estimates that over 10,000 people perished or went missing on this journey last year. This organization compiles data from migrant families and rescue reports, emphasizing the challenging human toll of these perilous crossings. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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