The same organization reported that 3,090 people died or went missing while trying to reach Spain in 2025.
By Dinesh Giri, BARCELONA:- More than 1,300 migrants have died in the first five months of 2026 alone, according to a rights group that monitors migrants trying to reach Europe via the dangerous Atlantic Ocean and Western Mediterranean route from Africa.
The report, released by the immigration group Walking Borders on Wednesday, comes on the eve of Pope Leo’s visit to the Canary Islands, where the Spanish archipelago has seen a sharp increase in illegal immigration over the past decade.
According to the report, a total of 1,317 people, including 142 women and 129 children, have died trying to reach the Spanish coast in the first five months of 2026. This includes 27 boats that have completely disappeared with their passengers on board.
Pope Leo, who is visiting Spain this week, has expressed concern over the treatment of migrants, saying their plight poses a major challenge to the moral foundations of the current international order.
According to rights activists, as countries like Mauritania, which are considered closer to Europe, tighten surveillance and control, migrants are choosing longer and more dangerous routes across the Atlantic Ocean to avoid capture.
The same organization reported that 3,090 people died or went missing while trying to reach Spain in 2025.
The shortest distance between the Canary Islands and the West African coast is about 100 kilometers. In addition, migrants also try to cross another 20-kilometer-wide sea route from Morocco to Spain by swimming or in small boats.
