 "Canary Islands: Europe's new migration crisis hub as Atlantic route deaths soar")
The Canary Islands have become a central point in Europe’s current migration crisis. In 2024, a record 46,843 migrants arrived irregularly, using the risky Atlantic route to reach the archipelago. This highlights the growing dangers migrants face and the pressure it puts on Spain and the European Union (EU).
While the Mediterranean has long been a symbol of Europe’s migration challenges, the focus on the Atlantic shows a worsening crisis with rising deaths and heated political discussions.
A deadly route
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands has become very dangerous. According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, as reported by The Guardian, at least 10,457 migrants died or went missing while trying to make the journey in 2024. This is a 50 per cent increase from the previous year and the highest death toll since the group started tracking in 2007. This number shows how risky the journey is: people use old boats, face unpredictable waters and have limited help if something goes wrong.
Unlike the shorter and calmer Mediterranean crossings, the Atlantic route is much harder. The journey from West African countries like Senegal, Mali and Morocco to the Canary Islands is thousands of kilometres across open sea. The boats are often makeshift, which makes them more likely to sink, and strong currents and changing weather only make things worse.
Despite the risks, the number of migrants keeps rising. Caminando Fronteras says this is due to many reasons, such as poor living conditions, political instability and stricter border controls in the Mediterranean.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThese factors push migrants to choose more dangerous routes. This crisis highlights the urgent need for countries to work together to not only manage migration but also solve the problems that force people to make these risky journeys.
A community under strain
The Canary Islands have become the main focus of Europe’s changing migration patterns. The large number of migrants arriving in 2024 has put a lot of pressure on local services and infrastructure. Temporary shelters are full, so authorities have had to turn schools, sports halls and other public buildings into emergency housing.
Local communities, while often helping migrants, are starting to feel the strain. The islands’ economy, which relies on tourism, is facing disruptions as the crisis gets more attention. Tensions are rising between locals and migrants, partly because of false information and fear. The Spanish government has tried to ease the pressure by moving some migrants to the mainland, but this hasn’t solved the bigger problems.
At the EU level, Spain’s situation shows how migration is not shared fairly between countries. While countries like Italy and Greece have been main entry points for migrants, the rise of the Atlantic route shows the need for a more united EU strategy. Without coordinated action, places like the Canary Islands could end up dealing with most of the crisis alone.
Declining numbers, rising tensions
Even though irregular crossings into Europe dropped by 40 per cent between January and November 2024, tensions around migration have increased. The EU border agency Frontex reported a 19 per cent rise in crossings on the Atlantic route during the same time, showing that migration is not spreading evenly across Europe.
This situation highlights a bigger political and social issue. Even with fewer crossings overall, migration is still a highly debated topic in Europe. Anti-immigration groups have used the crisis to push for tougher border controls and stricter policies. For example, according to CGTN, Italy’s controversial decision to have Albania process asylum seekers led to strong criticism, with former Greek Minister Ioannis Mouzalas calling it a violation of international laws.
Spain’s central role in the crisis has also brought attention to the EU’s divided response. While the EU has used external agreements and stronger borders to reduce arrivals in some areas, it has only shifted the pressure to other regions. This approach contrasts the EU’s core values of sharing the burden and helping each other, leaving countries like Spain to deal with most of the crisis.
Humanitarian crisis meets political stalemate
The human cost of the Atlantic route has highlighted the shortcomings of current migration policies. Rescue operations are hindered by a lack of resources and asylum processes are struggling to manage the increasing number of applicants. Meanwhile, political responses remain divided.
Spain’s experience with migration reveals a significant tension between national and EU-level policies. While Spain has attempted to balance its humanitarian duties with domestic concerns, its efforts are constrained by the absence of a unified European approach. The EU’s fragmented response, marked by inconsistent policies and temporary measures, fails to address the deeper challenges posed by migration.
Experts caution that this piecemeal approach could further destabilise the EU. Alexandros Zavos, the Head of the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute, has warned that extended border checks and individual measures could threaten the integrity of the Schengen zone.
He pointed out that if these border measures continue for too long, the EU’s core principle of solidarity might be lost, leaving the union as little more than an economic alliance, as he shared with CGTN.
Toward a sustainable solution
The migration crisis in the Canary Islands highlights the need for a better, long-term solution to Europe’s broader migration challenges. As more migrants take the Atlantic route, it becomes even more urgent to tackle the root causes of migration, such as poverty, conflict in home countries and unfair global mobility systems.
For the EU, this crisis is a key turning point. Will the union continue to rely on scattered, short-term actions or will it take the chance to create a strong, united migration plan? As 2024 just ended, the situation is more critical than ever.
For Spain, the Canary Islands and the thousands of people in danger, the question goes beyond policy – it’s a matter of humanity. If Europe addresses these challenges quickly and together, it can turn the migration crisis into a chance for progress and unity.
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