3,000 migrants to die en route to Spain in 2025: Caminando Fronteras report
A recent human rights report published 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 associated with irregular migration routes.
The association, which advocates for migrants' rights, explained that the death toll recorded up to mid-December 2025 reached 3,090, noting that the vast majority of these tragedies occurred in the Atlantic Ocean between the African coast and the Canary Islands. This sea route, known as the "Canary Islands route," is considered one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world due to its strong currents and the long distances migrants travel in dilapidated and unseaworthy boats.
A bloody comparison with 2024
These figures reveal a significant contrast with the statistics for 2024, which the organization described as a "black year," in which 10,457 migrants died or went missing, the highest number since the organization began documenting data in 2007. The current decline reflects a decrease in the number of arrivals, as official data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior showed a 40.4% decrease in the number of irregular migrants who arrived in Spain (35,935 migrants in 2025 compared to 60,311 in the same period of 2024).
Political context and European strategies
The human rights organization attributed this decline in the number of victims and arrivals to a range of political and security factors, most notably the intensification of efforts by the European Union and Spain to "contain flows" from countries of origin and transit. The past period has witnessed a significant increase in funding allocated to North and West African countries to strengthen their border control capabilities and prevent boats from setting sail, as part of a broader European strategy aimed at outsourcing border management outside the continent.
Regional and international repercussions
Regionally, this issue is generating widespread debate about the balance between border protection and humanitarian obligations. While European governments consider the decrease in numbers a success for their security policies, humanitarian organizations warn that stricter controls could push migrants and smugglers to seek alternative, more dangerous and longer routes, thus keeping the death toll rising.
The issue of migration across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic remains a geopolitical challenge affecting relations between the two shores of the Mediterranean. Southern countries seek genuine development support to address the root causes of migration, rather than relying solely on temporary security solutions. Experts emphasize that persistent economic disparities and instability in some African countries will make migration a pressing issue for years to come, requiring comprehensive international solutions that go beyond simply monitoring and intercepting boats.
