Over 3,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain by sea in 2025

Sharp decline in deaths amid increasingly dangerous routes

The figure of 3,090 deaths recorded between January and mid-December represents a significant drop compared to the previous year. However, activists warn this does not indicate safer journeys; instead, they argue heightened border controls are forcing migrants onto even more perilous maritime paths.

The Atlantic crossing to Canary Islands remains deadliest

The report identifies the Atlantic route from North Africa to Spain's Canary Islands as the most lethal, accounting for 1,906 fatalities. This voyage can last up to 12 days. A growing number of deaths, 1,037, also occurred on the route from Algeria to the Balearic Islands, while a new dangerous passage from Guinea to the Canaries has emerged.

Criticism of a global hardening of migration policies

Caminando Fronteras criticized what it described as a worldwide toughening of migration policies in 2025, singling out measures by the US administration. The report claims such policies have created a model of externalizing deportations and detentions to third countries, a practice mirrored by UK and Italian initiatives, leading to a "transnational system" managed through "institutional violence."