By Omar Bah
Gambian migrants are among an unprecedented nearly 5,000 migrants confirmed dead at sea in the first five months of 2024 trying to reach the Spanish Canary Islands, according to a report released by migration rights group Walking Borders on June 12.
According to reports, between January 1 and May 31, a tragic total of 4,808 individuals lost their lives on the perilous Atlantic journey to the Canaries after embarking from Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia. This route has been identified as the deadliest path from Africa to Spain, with 95% of migrant fatalities. As per data from Spain’s Interior Ministry, arrivals to the archipelago during this period surged by fivefold to over 16,500 compared to the previous year.
The Mediterranean route saw 175 deaths on the journey from Algeria to Spain’s southeastern shores, making it the second deadliest route. An additional 71 individuals lost their lives while crossing the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea, which separate Spain from Morocco. This brings the total number of victims on routes to Spain to 5,054, averaging 33 deaths per day. NGO coordinator Helena Maleno emphasized prioritizing protocols for sea rescue and protecting the right to life over migration control measures, stating, “We cannot accept these numbers as normal.
The victims hailed from 17 different countries, primarily from the African mainland, as well as from the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean and Pakistan. According to the report, the group included 154 women and 50 children.
Jose Antonio Rodriguez Verona, the head of the Canary Islands Red Cross, emphasized the Atlantic route’s perilous nature due to the rough weather conditions, which could easily lead to the capsizing of the fragile vessels commonly used by migrants. Notably, last year, a record 39,910 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, with over 6,000 individuals perishing during the treacherous journey. Human rights organizations anticipate that this year’s fatalities may exceed that grim figure.
