Number of migrants arriving illegally in Spain almost doubles in 2023
The significant increase last year is mainly due to the considerable rise in refugees arriving in the Canary Islands. According to the figures, 39,910 migrants reached the islands off the northwest coast of Africa last year - an increase of more than 154 percent compared to 2022 and more than in the previous record year of 2006.
As a result of increased controls in the Mediterranean, the migration route via the Canary Islands has become more important in recent years, even though it is long and dangerous. The approximately 1600-kilometre crossing from Senegal to the Canary Islands, for example, takes around a week in often difficult weather and sea conditions. According to the non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras, more than 7,800 people lost their lives or are missing between 2018 and 2022.
The number of people arriving in Spain via the Mediterranean also increased last year compared to 2022, rising by 19.1% to 15,435 people, according to the data. In contrast, the number of people arriving in the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla fell by around 46% to 1,234.
Melilla and Ceuta have the EU's only land border with Africa. The areas are therefore a regular destination for people hoping for a better life in Europe.
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- The surge in illegal migrant arrivals in Spain has seen their numbers almost doubling themselves in 2023.
- The illegal pay for smugglers doubles as the number of migrants risking the dangerous Mediterranean Sea journey increases.
- Despite the illegal nature of their voyage, many migrants and refugees choose to pay the high cost to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Spain and the Canary Islands.
- The Spanish government is under pressure to address the issue of the increasing number of illegal immigrants arriving via the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands, a route that has almost doubled in popularity.
- The EU must take a stronger stance against illegal migrations, especially in light of the almost doubled number of migrants arriving in Spain via the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands.
- Protective measures to deter illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea should be strengthened, considering the almost doubled number of migrants arriving in Spain and the Canary Islands.
- The influx of illegal migrants reaching Spain's shores via the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands has become an almost daily occurrence, approaching 40,000 in 2023.
Source: www.stern.de
