If hell had an address, it would undoubtedly be on the Atlantic route, where overloaded and dilapidated makeshift boats venture into raging currents. Smugglers, these merchants of illusions, are increasing the number of departures from isolated beaches in Africa, sometimes located more than 1,000 kilometers from the Canaries. More than 10,547 migrants died at sea in 2024, leaving behind silent tragedies.
Malian authorities reported that a shipwreck off the Moroccan coast on December 19 resulted in the disappearance of 70 people, including Malian migrants. The boat, carrying around 80 passengers, sank while crossing to the Canary Islands. Only eleven people were able to be rescued.
According to a statement from the Malian government, made public on December 26, the tragedy cost the lives of 25 young Malians identified among the victims. Eleven survivors, including nine from Mali, were taken care of, as specified by Malian officials and regional embassies in collaboration with the families of the missing.
A global shipwreck
Every year, thousands of migrants attempt to reach Europe via extremely risky maritime routes. These crossings, often made aboard precarious boats, leave the African coast in the hope of reaching safer shores. The shipwreck of December 19 once again illustrates the dangers of these perilous journeys. The Canary Islands, located around a hundred kilometers from the North African coast, represent one of the preferred entry points.
Every day, hundreds of men, women and children embark on makeshift canoes for a journey where the promise of a better future collides with the cruel waves of the Atlantic. The year 2024 sadly marked a record with this tragic toll of 10,547 migrants who perished or disappeared at sea while trying to reach the Spanish coast, according to Caminando Fronteras.
Behind these chilling figures, a tragic reality emerges: that of a world that looks elsewhere. The Spanish Organization indicates that this alarming figure represents an increase of 50% compared to the previous year. According to Caminando Fronteras, also known as Walking Borders, these figures reflect an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The tragedy of migrants is not limited to those who perish at sea. It is a collective shipwreck: that of a global system incapable of responding to humanitarian crises and inequalities. The sending countries see their youth disappearing into a European mirage, while the receiving countries close their doors and intensify controls. In this struggle for survival, unfortunately, it is the smugglers who thrive by exploiting human distress. Their empty promises cost thousands of lives and their business continues to flourish.
Roads becoming more and more deadly
In his report entitled Right to Life 2024the association underlines that the past year was the deadliest ever recorded, with an appalling average of 30 deaths per day compared to 18 per day in 2023. Among the victims of this human tragedy of unprecedented scale, are 421 women and 1,538 children or adolescents. But how did we get there? The answer is as simple as it is overwhelming: it is more politically convenient to turn a blind eye to these tragedies than to confront them. Victims become statistics; their names, their stories, their hopes sink into oblivion.
Despite the extreme risks, migrants continue to flock to Spain. According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, 57,700 migrants reached the Spanish coast by boat as of December 15, 2024, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. The vast majority of them took the Atlantic route. These figures, combined with the record number of deaths, reveal the urgency of a strengthened humanitarian response. Without an overhaul of migration policies and relief systems, maritime tragedies will continue to worsen.
The Atlantic route, linking West Africa to the Canary Islands, remains by far the most dangerous with 9,757 deaths recorded on this road to death. The Mauritania route, which has become a major departure point to the Canaries, has seen an increasing number of tragedies. In the Mediterranean, the Algerian route is the most dangerous. It caused 517 official victims in 2024. This toll testifies to the scale of the tragedy on all maritime routes leading to Spain.
Caminando Fronteras’ report does not simply draw up a quantitative assessment. He also points out the structural causes of this massacre. The association denounces the prioritization of migration control to the detriment of the duty to rescue, affirming that the right to life is relegated to the background.
The priority given to border control far outweighs rescue efforts. Maritime resources, instead of deploying to save lives, focus on dissuasive policies. Helena Maleno, founder of the association, denounces an “unacceptable tragedy” and a “profound failure” of the emergency systems.
