A once-quiet area of southeastern Spain has seen a concerning influx of people smugglers carrying migrants onto the mainland in recent months. Over 700 migrants have reportedly landed on the shores of Almeria this year, each paying up to €10,000 (£8,650) for a perilous journey across the Mediterranean from North Africa.
This route is infamously known as the world’s deadliest migration path. The International Organisation for Migration has recorded over 2,400 deaths last year alone from attempts to cross the Mediterranean. Just in the last week of March, three migrants lost their lives trying to reach Almeria, The Olive Press reports.
The Civil Guard seized one people smuggling boat at the end of March after it dropped off around 50 Algerian migrants onto Cala Mochuela’s shores, according to Diario de Almeria.
Some will be collected by waiting relatives or friends, while others will be transported further to Valencia, Catalonia and Basque Country, provided they can pay an additional €300 (£259).
The 11.5 metre-long Phantom boat, often used for drug smuggling, was confiscated a few hours later by the Civil Guard and destroyed.
It was the Phantom’s third trip across the ocean in less than a week, bringing almost 150 people to Spain. Another landing took place at Playa de los Muertos in nearby Carboneras.
2024 also marked the deadliest year on record for migrants worldwide, with 19 bodies rescued off the coast of Almeria. Over 200 still remain unaccounted for, as reported by the Andalusian Human Rights Association.
The Association has been recording migrant crossings for nearly 40 years, documenting over 19,000 deaths and disappearances during sea crossings, with 75% occurring in the past five years.
Despite the Almeria coast being the primary entry point for illegal immigrants into Europe, Spain’s Interior Ministry noted a 36% decrease in those entering the country unlawfully.
With one of the lowest figures in the past decade, 4,000 African migrants arrived on the 124-mile coastline via sea last year, compared to 6000 in 2023.
Over the past three years, the Interior Ministry has recorded 139 arrests in Almeria for illegal trafficking, only 33 of which were prosecuted last year.
