A recent human rights report by the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras reveals an ongoing humanitarian tragedy on Europe's southern borders, where more than 3,000 migrants lost their lives in 2025 while attempting to cross the sea to reach Spanish shores. Although this figure represents a significant decrease compared to the previous year, it underscores the continued grave dangers faced by asylum seekers and migrants using irregular migration routes.
The Atlantic Highway: The Deadliest Route
The association, which advocates for migrants' rights, explained that the vast majority of the 3,090 deaths recorded up to mid-December occurred on the transatlantic migration route between the west coast of Africa and the Spanish Canary Islands. This route is internationally recognized as one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world, due to the long distances migrants travel in flimsy boats (cayokos) amidst strong ocean currents and sudden weather changes, making rescue operations extremely difficult and complex.
Decline in numbers compared to 2024
The report's data is based on documented testimonies from migrants' families and official rescue statistics, and this data was corroborated by figures released by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. Official statistics indicate a 40.4% decrease in the number of irregular migrants successfully reaching Spain between January 1 and December 15, 2025, with 35,935 migrants arriving compared to 60,311 during the same period in 2024.
This decrease comes after 2024, which was described as the most tragic year, when the organization recorded the death or disappearance of 10,457 migrants, the highest number since the organization began documenting this data in 2007.
European policies and containing flows
The human rights organization attributed this decline in the number of arrivals and deaths to a number of strategic and political factors, most notably increased European and Spanish funding provided to countries of origin and transit in North and West Africa. This funding aims to strengthen these countries' capacity to monitor their coastlines and contain migration flows before boats depart.
These figures reflect the results of the intensive bilateral agreements recently concluded by Spain and the European Union with countries such as Mauritania, Senegal and Morocco, which included significant logistical and financial support in exchange for tightening border controls, which has led to a reduction in the number of boats departing, but in return raises ongoing human rights questions about the humanitarian conditions of migrants stranded in transit countries.
