Spanish migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras says 10,457 migrants have died at sea whereas making an attempt to succeed in Spain in 2024, a 58% improve in deaths in comparison with final 12 months.
More than 10,000 migrants died making an attempt to succeed in Spain by sea in 2024, in keeping with a report printed Thursday by Spanish migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders).
9,757 deaths, the overwhelming majority of the ten,457 reported of Caminando Fronters till 15 December 2024, occurred alongside the so-called Atlantic route, thought of essentially the most harmful on this planet. The group reported 700 deaths amongst individuals making an attempt to succeed in Spain through Mediterranean routes.
The Atlantic route noticed tens of hundreds of individuals go away the coasts of West African nations, reminiscent of Mauritania, for the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago situated close to the African coast that has more and more been used as a gateway to mainland Europe .
The whole variety of deaths represents a 58% improve from the earlier 12 months, the report added.
Caminando Fronteras compiles its knowledge based mostly on the reviews of migrant households and official statistics of the individuals rescued. The report specifies that the victims embrace 1,538 kids and 421 girls, with April and May recognized because the deadliest months of the 12 months.
The group additionally highlighted a “robust improve” in boats departing Mauritania in 2024, with the nation rising as the primary departure level for migrants heading to the Canary Islands.
In February, Spain promised 210 million euros in help to Mauritania to assist curb human trafficking and forestall boats from leaving.
Spain’s Interior Ministry reviews that greater than 57,700 migrants arrived within the nation by sea by December 15 this 12 months, marking a 12% improve in comparison with the identical interval in 2023. The overwhelming majority of them traveled through the route Atlantic.
Serious challenges in gathering knowledge on migrant deaths
The knowledge from Caminando Fronteras are considerably increased than these reported by different organizations, reminiscent of Missing Migrants Project (MMP). The latter is a company that data incidents the place individuals have died at state borders or within the means of migrating to a different nation, and its present figures present 979 migrants lacking alongside the identical Atlantic route in 2024. However, the Each group’s knowledge assortment strategies could differ considerably and the figures are topic to vary over time, with all of those teams going through substantial challenges of their efforts.
Caminando Fronteras complains that “households proceed to face obstacles (from public authorities) to their proper to report incidents”.
The Missing Migrants Project acknowledges that its investigations “can seize solely a small pattern of the general variety of migrants transiting Africa” and notes that there are critical challenges that hinder efforts to color a extra correct image, such because the excessive variety of languages within the area and its low charges of digitized media.
The MMP recorded 2,273 migrants lacking throughout the Mediterranean Sea in 2024, together with 410 within the Eastern Mediterranean, 1,689 within the Central Mediterranean and 172 within the Eastern Mediterranean.
