Once again, the collective Caminando Fronteras is sounding the alarm. In its latest report, published on Tuesday, the organisation documented 1,865 deaths or disappearances between January 1 and May 31, 2025, at the gates of Europe, along the Western Euro-African migration route. Among the victims were 112 women and 342 children, who perished in near-total indifference.
Based on continuous 24/7 monitoring through emergency hotlines, the report denounces migration policies that sacrifice human lives in the name of border control.
The document highlights that in 47% of cases, the causes of shipwrecks can be directly linked to structural border control policies: delayed rescue operations, failure to deploy available resources, arbitrary decisions on rescue protocols, and geographic discrimination in response efforts.
The limited use of air rescue services, the replacement of proactive operations with passive alerts to private vessels, and the lack of effective bilateral cooperation all contribute to this deadly pattern.
These systemic shortcomings are compounded by violence at departure points, extreme conditions at sea, and the precarious nature of the vessels—often inflatable and ill-suited for open waters—used by migrants, the report adds.
A Human Tragedy on the Atlantic Route
With 1,482 recorded deaths—nearly 80% of the total—the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands remains the deadliest. Among its sub-routes, the Mauritanian corridor alone accounts for 1,318 victims, with frequent departures from Nouadhibou.
Elsewhere, the report notes a sharp decline in departures from Senegal and The Gambia, yet the route still recorded 110 deaths. The coastal zone between Agadir and Dakhla in Morocco registered 54 fatalities.
The organisation also draws attention to the discovery of vessels drifting as far as Latin America. Some were found in Brazil or Trinidad and Tobago, with passengers who had died from dehydration or exhaustion.
The Algerian route to the Balearic Islands claimed 328 lives or disappearances, often occurring close to shore. According to the report, these shipwrecks happen despite specific alerts, but rescue operations are delayed or never initiated. The lack of coordination with Algerian authorities further worsens the situation. A shift in the profile of victims is also observed, with an increase in Somali nationals transiting through Algeria.
Gibraltar Strait and Alboran Sea: Zones of Silent Disappearance
The Strait of Gibraltar, often crossed by young migrants attempting to swim to Ceuta, continues to produce unidentified bodies that wash up on Spanish shores. The report condemns a policy of dehumanisation, where nameless corpses are left without investigation or repatriation to families.
As for the Alboran Sea route, it remains poorly documented due to a lack of alerts and information blackout, despite critically ill migrants reaching the Andalusian coast.
“Even though the numbers are lower than last year, we must not normalize them. That’s why we must continue to demand that states prioritize the protection of all human lives over migration control measures,” said Helena Maleno, founder of Caminando Fronteras.
ARD/te/lb/as/APA