MADRID, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Over 50,000 illegal migrants have reached Spain in 2023, according to data published by the Ministry of the Interior on Monday.
The latest "Irregular Immigration" report covering the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 15 shows that 52,945 illegal immigrants reached Spain in the period, up 76.2 percent from the same period in 2022.
It is also the first time the 50,000 people barrier has been broken since 2018, when 57,498 people arrived illegally.
The overwhelming majority of the illegal migration arrivals in 2023 was by sea. Among them, 72 percent reached the Canary Islands, up 140 percent from that in 2022, setting a new record for the islands since 2006.
The "Canary Island route" is considered the most lethal migrant route in the world, where migrants must cross at least 100 km of open ocean. The Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras estimated that at least 7,800 died trying to make the crossing between 2018 and 2022.
Last week, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said the migration crisis in Spain is a "European responsibility" which needs a "European response." ■
