Horror as 1,317 migrants die on world's 'deadliest' small boat route in 2026

A migration route considered to be the world’s deadliest has claimed the lives of 1,317 migrants so far this year. The figure from Spanish non-governmental organisation Caminando Fronteras includes 142 women and 129 children who perished trying to cross from West Africa to the Canary Islands between January and May.

Victim numbers peaked in April with 382 deaths reported by Caminando Fronteras, followed by 373 in January, 319 in February, 139 in March and 104 in May. In 2025, a total of 3,090 people died along the route while 10,000 lost their lives the year before, according to the NGO’s figures. The NGO reports that the true death toll is likely to be higher as some vessels go undetected.

The Canary Islands, which are part of Spain and inside the European Union, have seen a surge in migrant arrivals in recent years.

Human rights groups attribute a drop in arrivals last year to combined efforts between Spain and African countries to intercept migrants on their way to the archipelago.

Patrols off the coasts of countries such as Morocco and Mauritania mean migrants are departing from further afield and so have to undertake longer journeys to reach the Canaries, according to Info Migrants.

Caminando Fronteras in its monitoring report said many of the migrants trying to get to the Canary Islands tend to be unaccompanied minors.

The number of deaths along the West Africa-Canary Islands route is much higher than those recorded for the English Channel crossing.

Deaths of migrants attempting to cross the Channel in 2025 totalled 24, according to The Migration Observatory at Oxford University. In 2024, a total of 73 people died.

At least six people have died trying to cross the busy shipping lane from France to the UK so far this year.

Meanwhile, on a visit to Spain, Pope Leo XIV on Monday (June 8) urged parliamentarians to respects migrants’ rights and international law.

The Pontiff called for strengthened international efforts to prevent the smuggling of migrants and to create the conditions where they choose to stay at home.

He called on countries to welcome and integrate those who flee conflict, poverty and climate change.

Leo urged countries to offer safe and legal pathways, a respectful welcome and real opportunities for integration while also promoting the right to remain in one’s own land.