America News Agency

According to a new report by the NGO Caminando Fronteras, 3,090 people drowned between January and December 15, 2025, including 192 women and 437 children.

This figure is significantly lower than the 10,457 people who died during migration attempts the previous year.

Helena Maleno, the NGO’s research coordinator, said that despite the decrease in deaths, the number of shipwrecks rose to 303, with around 70 boats disappearing without a trace.

She said the reason for this was an increase in the number of passengers on the dangerous route from Algeria to the Balearic Islands.

While these boats usually carry around 30 people, vessels on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands can carry up to 300 people.

According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, 35,935 irregular migrants arrived by sea and land by December 15, a significant drop compared to the 60,311 migrants who reached Spanish territory during the same period in 2024.

Much of this decline is attributed to tighter border controls in Mauritania, a key departure point for migrants trying to reach Spain.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch accused Mauritanian authorities of systematic abuses, including rape and torture, mainly against African migrants; the Mauritanian government denies the allegations.