Sahel Edition

Irregular Migration to Spain Falls Sharply in 2025 With Decline in Atlantic CrossingsF

Posted On 6 January 2026

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After reaching a historic high in 2024, irregular migration to Spain fell sharply in 2025. Official data show a decline of more than 40% compared with the previous year, driven largely by a collapse in arrivals via the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.

Spanish authorities recorded roughly 36,800 undocumented arrivals in 2025, the vast majority by sea. This represents a significant drop from the more than 64,000 arrivals registered in 2024, which had marked the highest level in recent years. The reduction is most pronounced in the Canary Islands, where arrivals fell by more than 60% year over year. In 2025, fewer than 18,000 migrants reached the archipelago, compared with nearly 47,000 the year before.

The Atlantic route to the Canaries has long been one of the most dangerous migration corridors into Europe. The sharp decline in crossings reflects intensified deterrence efforts in several West and North African departure countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco. These measures have included tighter coastal surveillance, expanded maritime patrols, intelligence sharing, and more aggressive action against smuggling networks.

At the same time, migration pressure has not disappeared but has shifted geographically. While arrivals to the Canary Islands have dropped, Spain has seen an increase in landings in the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean. In 2025, arrivals there rose by roughly a quarter, with most departures originating from Algeria. This redistribution suggests that enforcement along one route can redirect flows rather than eliminate them entirely.

The fall in Canary Islands arrivals coincides with enhanced security cooperation between Spain and Morocco. Since 2022, bilateral relations have strengthened following Spain’s endorsement of Morocco’s position on Western Sahara. This diplomatic reset has been accompanied by closer coordination on migration control, including joint maritime operations and expanded Moroccan patrols along departure points on the Atlantic coast. As routes from Morocco have become harder to use, crossings from neighboring countries have become relatively more prominent.

Spain has also deepened cooperation with Mauritania, a key transit and departure country for Atlantic crossings. In 2024, Mauritania and the European Union concluded a migration partnership that included substantial financial support in exchange for stronger preventive measures aimed at stopping departures before they reach the open ocean. European border authorities attribute much of the recent decline in Canary Islands arrivals to these upstream controls.

Despite the statistical drop in arrivals, the human cost of irregular migration remains severe. Monitoring organizations estimate that thousands of people died or went missing at sea in 2025 while attempting to reach Spain, as fewer arrivals do not necessarily mean safer conditions.

Human rights groups continue to raise concerns about the consequences of externalized migration control. They argue that agreements with departure countries can expose migrants to detention, mistreatment, and lack of legal safeguards. Allegations of abuse linked to enforcement practices in some partner countries have fueled debate over whether deterrence-focused cooperation reduces harm or merely shifts it out of sight.

Overall, Spain’s 2025 migration figures reflect a combination of intensified regional cooperation, route displacement, and persistent risks. The data suggest that policy coordination can significantly affect migration patterns, but they also highlight the limits of deterrence in addressing the underlying drivers of irregular movement.

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