Four migrants from sub-Saharan Africa lost their lives while trying to reach the Canary Islands, highlighting the dangers of the increasingly used Atlantic migration route.
Despite the perils, the route remains a common choice for migrants due to its relatively lighter surveillance compared to the Mediterranean crossings.
Spanish maritime rescue services reported on Thursday, December 19, that a helicopter retrieved the body of one deceased migrant and a survivor from Moroccan waters, about 70 nautical miles east of Lanzarote, on Wednesday evening. Later, a rescue vessel recovered 49 additional migrants from the same area, including three deceased individuals, four women, and a minor, according to an official statement.
All survivors were transported to the port of Arrecife on Lanzarote.
In 2024, the Canary Islands have seen a record-breaking influx of over 40,000 migrants, with El Hierro alone accounting for nearly 20,000 arrivals—around half of the total—according to the Red Cross. The sharp increase in arrivals is attributed to the islands’ proximity to northwestern Africa and tighter patrols along Mediterranean routes.
The Spanish Interior Ministry reported that 41,425 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands between January and November 2024, surpassing the previous year’s total of 39,910 and setting a new record for the second year in a row.
