More than 10,000 migrants have died trying to reach Spain by sea, according to a report published Thursday by a Spanish migrant rights group.
That figure means 30 migrants have died on average every day in 2024 trying to get to Spain by boat, the group Caminando Fronteras said.
The number of dead increased by 58 percent, compared to last year, the report said.
Tens of thousands of migrants left West Africa in 2024 for Spain's Canary Islands, which are located near the African coast, which has been sensationally used as a point of departure for mainland Europe.
Caminando Fronteras said most of the 10,457 deaths recorded up to December 15 occurred along the so-called Atlantic route, which is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
This organization collects the figures from the families of the migrants and from the official records of those who are rescued.
Among the dead were 1,538 children and 421 women. April and May were the deadliest months, according to the report.
Caminando Fronteras also highlighted a "huge increase" in 2024 of immigrants departing from Mauritania, which has become the main departure point on the way to the Canary Islands.
In February, Spain gave Mauritania 210 million euros to help it fight migrant smugglers and prevent migrant boats from sailing to its islands.
Spain's interior ministry says more than 57,700 migrants arrived in Spain by boat by December 15 this year, an increase of about 12 percent compared to last year. Most of them came through the Atlantic route. REL (A2 Televizion)
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