ISLAMABAD / Pakistan : Monitoring Desk – Morocco stood at the center of one of the deadliest years for irregular migration to Spain, with hundreds of lives lost along routes starting from its shores, according to a new annual report by the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras. The report has been published by Moroccan media HESPRESS.
The organization says 2025 was marked by mounting risks, failed rescues, and longer, more dangerous journeys that continue to cost thousands of lives.
Along Moroccan routes alone, the death toll was alarming. The report documents 139 deaths off Morocco’s northern coast and another 245 victims along the Atlantic stretch between Agadir and Dakhla.
Five migrants also died while attempting to enter the occupied enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. These figures reflect only confirmed cases, meaning the real number could be even higher.
Caminando Fronteras says that Morocco is not just a transit country. It is also one of the main sources of migrants trying to reach Spain.
Many Moroccan nationals died in 2025 during these journeys, placing Moroccans among the most affected nationalities on these routes.
For many young people and families, the crossing remains a desperate gamble driven by lack of opportunities and shrinking legal migration options.
Overall, the NGO recorded 3090 deaths between January 1 and December 15, 2025. Among the victims were 192 women and 437 children and teenagers.
At least 70 boats disappeared completely at sea, with everyone on board presumed dead.
The report paints a grim picture of how these tragedies unfold. Delayed rescue operations, failure to respond to distress calls, and poor coordination between countries are listed as key reasons behind the high death toll.
The situation is worsened by policies that shift border control responsibilities to countries with limited resources, including Morocco, without providing adequate support for search and rescue.
Journeys are also becoming longer and more dangerous. Migrants are pushed onto overcrowded, fragile boats and forced to take routes that stretch thousands of kilometres. Emergency alerts often come too late, if they come at all.
The NGO criticizes the growing politicisation of borders. Increased funding aimed at stopping migration has effectively expanded Europe’s borders southward, deep into countries of origin. This has created more danger zones and multiplied areas where human life is at constant risk.
Tighter controls on Moroccan routes have not stopped migration. Instead, they have pushed migrants toward deadlier alternatives.
In 2025, deaths along the Algerian route rose sharply to 1037. A new route starting from Guinea-Conakry, stretching 2,200 kilometres, has also emerged as one of the most dangerous, even longer than the Senegal–Canary Islands crossing.
