Last year, according to the Human Rights Association of Andalucía (Apdha), an average of 175 people accessed Spanish territory irregularly each day. Of them, 128 reached the Canary Islands, 15 to Andalucía, 24 via the Levante route, and eight to Ceuta and Melilla. Andalucía was the region where arrivals decreased the most.
During the past year, at least 2,465 people died or went missing while trying to enter Spanish territory, according to Apdha. In 2024, a total of 64,048 arrivals at the southern Spanish border were recorded, making it the second year with the highest entries in the entire historical series. More than 75% of those who died perished on the Canary route, which has become the deadliest route for people from West Africa.
In Andalucía, 402 migrants died last year, with 288 in Alborán and 24 on the Strait route, compared to the 99 recorded on both routes in 2023, representing a significant increase. Apdha highlighted that in the last five years, most of the deaths recorded in the last 37 years have concentrated, indicating that stricter border policies and practices like pushbacks violate human rights.
The situation in the migrant settlements in Huelva and Almería is also concerning, with at least 12,000 people living in precarious conditions according to Apdha. An increase in the presence of women in Huelva and minors in Almería has been observed. The data show an increase in arrivals through different routes, with Almería, Granada, and Málaga as common destinations.
Ana María Rosado, coordinator of the Apdha report, denounced the lack of transparency from the government in managing irregular immigration and criticized the opacity in the information provided by the Red Cross, Maritime Rescue, and the Civil Guard. Apdha has alerted about the inhumane conditions in the settlements, lacking basic services. Criticism is also directed at the coalition government's immigration policy, which has been questioned for its discrepancy between discourse and practices.
