A Perilous Route Across the Mediterranean
While the Canary Islands remain the main destination for many migrants crossing from Africa to Spain, hundreds continue to attempt the dangerous journey across the shorter but still treacherous route to the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
Between January and June 2025, at least 31 bodies were recovered from the waters or beaches of the Balearic region, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. These deaths underscore the ongoing crisis in the Mediterranean, which claimed 37% of all migrant deaths recorded globally by the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2023.
In a related incident, NGO Open Arms recently rescued more than 50 migrants from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean, where a woman gave birth during the ordeal.
Earlier this year, the Spanish Coast Guard rescued a baby born at sea on an inflatable vessel headed to the Canary Islands, demonstrating both the desperation and human resilience involved in these dangerous crossings.
