Over 4,115 migrants unlawfully reached Spain in January, marking a 42.3 per cent increase compared to the same period 2021 figures.
According to a report published by Info Migrants, the most significant number of the arrivals during January 2022 was registered in the Canary Islands, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
A total of 4,202 migrants entered Spain illegally by land and sea in January 2022, or 30.6 per cent compared to the same period 2021 figures.
Spain’s Interior Ministry’s data showed that most people who reached Spain landed on the Canary Islands, or a total of 3,194.
According to the figures provided by the UN migration agency IOM, at least 65 migrants lost their lives or were reported missing while attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the Canaries in January 2022.
The same source shows that at least 26 migrants died or were reported missing on the Western Mediterranean route between Spain and the North African coast.
However, the number is likely much higher, considering many deaths at sea that are never registered.
Recently, the figures provided by the non-governmental migrant organization Walking Borders revealed that a total of 4,404 migrants died attempting to enter Spain unlawfully during last year, marking more than double the amount that lost their lives in 2020.
Such figures published by Walking Borders were much higher than the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) data.
According to the report published by Walking Border, the most significant number of persons who lost their lives during 2021 had been persons coming from northern Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands.
In addition, the figures provided by Walking Borders revealed that in their attempt to reach Spain unlawfully, many women and children also lost their lives.
The EU border agency, Frontex, recently announced that the number of illegal border crossings at the EU external borders also increased last year, after nearly 200,000 detections were recorded.
The operation was launched under the authority of anti-terror magistrates as part of a broader investigation.
