6 Migrants Died While Sailing From West Africa To The Spanish Canary Islands

Six migrants were killed while trying to reach the Canary Islands in Spain using ships from West Africa, the Red Cross and emergency services said.

As reported by Reuters on Wednesday, December 11, five of the 65 migrants who boarded an open ship that reached the small island of El Hierro were found dead, emergency services said.

While another migrant was found dead in one of the other three vessels rescued by the Spanish coast guard.

The number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands in Spain reached its annual high for two consecutive years in 2024.

The number of migrants lost or died on the way increased five times faster than the number of migrants arriving alive, according to recent data.

The Atlantic route is very dangerous because bad weather can easily reverse the rafts, pyrogue, and small boats used by most migrants.

This year around 20,000 illegal migrants arrived in El Hierro, according to the Red Cross. This number represents half of the total more than 40,000 people who reached the archipelago during that period.