Eduardo González
The number of migrants who arrived irregularly in Spain in 2023 increased by 82.1 percent compared to the previous year, an increase that reaches a percentage of 116.8% in the case of minors, according to the NGO Save. the Children.
Specifically, as indicated by the organization this past Thursday, the total number of migrants increased from 31,219 in 2022 to 56,852 in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior. Of this total, 5,151 correspond to boys and girls under 18 years of age, which translates into 116.8% more than the previous year. In 2022, the number was 2,375, and both in that year and in 2023, the vast majority were boys, although in recent months there has been an increase in the arrival of girls.
The autonomous community of the Canary Islands was the one that received the most migrants and also the one that registered a greater flow of children and adolescents compared to previous years (2,274 as of October 6, 2023 compared to 1,713 in 2022, according to Government data Canary). Maritime arrivals to the Balearic Islands, the Peninsula and Melilla increased and decreased in Ceuta, while the number of land arrivals to Melilla and Ceuta also decreased.
“One of the reasons why we have seen this growth in arrivals to the Canary Islands is because of the critical situation that exists in the Maghreb and in other nearby countries such as Senegal,” explained Catalina Perazzo, director of childhood policies at Save the Children. Senegal is experiencing a social and political crisis that has led to riots and clashes and may be one of the reasons why thousands of people migrated in October. The archipelago received almost 15,000 migrants that month.
Added to the political causes are food instability and the climate crisis, which generates more and more migrations. Globally, the United Nations estimates that every year 20 million people leave their homes due to extreme weather events, such as prolonged drought, torrential rains and desertification, among others.
In addition, the number of deaths of adults and children in 2023 when they were heading to Spain – both on the Canary Islands and in the Mediterranean route – amounts to 1,411, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which recognizes that There could be many more deaths. At least 51 children and adolescents died during their migratory route. According to Save the Children, these are minors fleeing countries at war, hostile environments or the lack of opportunities in their countries of origin.
