More than 10,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain in 2024, an average of 30 a day, NGOs said in a new report.

A report released by Spain’s migrant rights group shows that more than 10,000 migrants have died trying to reach Spain by sea this year, the most since the group started counting in 2007.

NGO Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said on Thursday that this means an average of 30 migrants have died every day this year while trying to reach the country by boat.

The overall death toll is up 58% compared to the same period last year last yearthe report added.

tens of thousands migrant Depart West Africa in 2024 for the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Africa that is increasingly used as a stepping stone to the European continent.

Caminando Fronteras said most of the 10,457 deaths recorded as of December 15 occurred on the route known as the Atlantic Ocean Route, which is considered the world’s most dangerous sea route. One of the dangerous routes.

The organization compiled the data based on official statistics on migrant families and rescued persons. Among the dead were 1,538 children and 421 women. April and May were the deadliest months, the report said.

It accuses the use of fragile vessels and increasingly dangerous route and the inability of maritime rescue services to cope with the surge in fatalities.

“These figures prove a serious failure of the rescue and protection system. With more than 10,400 people dead or missing in one year, this is an unacceptable tragedy,” Helena Maleno, founder of the organization, said in a statement stated in a statement.

The victims came from 28 countries, mostly in Africa, but also from Iraq and Pakistan.

Many migrants, including women, also experienced “violence, discrimination, racism, deportation and sexual violence and were forced to survive in extreme conditions” before leaving, the report said.

Caminando Fronteras also noted a “dramatic increase” in the number of ships departing from Mauritania in 2024, with Mauritania becoming the main departure point for the Canary Islands.

Spain’s maritime rescue service said on social media site X that seven migrant boats landed on the archipelago on Wednesday on Christmas Day.

In February, Spain pledged 210 million euros ($218 million) in aid to Mauritania to help it fight people smuggling and stop ships from taking off.

The Canary Islands are 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the coast of North Africa. The shortest route is between the southern Moroccan coastal town of Tarfaya and the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura.

But the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands is particularly dangerous due to strong ocean currents.

Spain, along with Italy and Greece, is one of Europe’s top three immigration gateways.

The Spanish Interior Ministry stated that as of December 15 this year, more than 57,700 migrants had arrived in Spain by boat, an increase of approximately 12% compared to the same period last year. Most of them came via the Atlantic route.