Up To 40% Of Migrants May Die On Canary Islands Route – Says Former Spanish Police Chief

PROSPER OKOYE 

Tens of thousands of African migrants reached Spain’s Canary Islands in 2024, but as many as 40% of those who set out on the Atlantic crossing may not have survived the journey, according to Javier Leon, a former police inspector who spent years overseeing migrant arrivals on the archipelago.

 

Leon, now a deputy team lead at the Foundation for International Applied Studies, FIAP, said roughly 40,000 people arrived on the islands last year. He said that figure likely represents a fraction of those who attempted the route, which spans about 100 miles from the Sahara coast.

 

“We save a lot of lives,” Leon said in an interview. “But many are lost in the Atlantic Ocean.”

 

Leon estimated that for every 40,000 who arrived, as many as 15,000 more may have died at sea, based on intelligence drawn from satellite surveillance, fishing vessel reports and other sources used to track wooden boats before they reach Spanish waters.

He noted that the Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canaries is one of the deadliest migration paths in the world. The boats, often overcrowded and lacking proper navigation, face strong currents, bad weather, and weeks at sea without food or water.

 

According to Leon, his former unit on Tenerife handled thousands of arrivals and rescues annually. He said Spanish authorities work with Moroccan, Mauritanian and Senegalese officials to intercept boats and share information on departures.

The 40% fatality estimate cited by Leon could not be independently verified by http://pmexpressng.com. Official figures on deaths at sea are difficult to confirm because many boats disappear without trace and are never recorded by authorities.

International organizations have also warned about risks on the Atlantic route. The United Nations migration agency, IOM, has previously described the Canary Islands crossing as one of the most dangerous migration routes globally due to distance and sea conditions.

Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded over 46,000 migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands in 2024, marking one of the highest yearly totals in recent years. Authorities say most departures originate from Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal.

Leon said satellite monitoring and reports from fishing vessels help estimate how many boats leave African shores, but many are never found if they capsize or drift off course in the open Atlantic.

Human rights groups have urged safer migration options and better rescue coordination to reduce deaths. They argue that lack of legal pathways pushes migrants toward smugglers and unsafe boats.

As of press time, Spanish government agencies had not issued an official response to Leon’s 40% estimate. http://pmexpressng.com remains open to publishing statements or clarifications from relevant authorities.