Spain urged to act over ‘shameful’ numbers of migrants dying en route to country

Madrid faces catastrophic' year at borders with 2,087 dead or missing on sea crossings in six months to June, says NGO

Spain is facing an unprecedented and catastrophic" year on its borders, finds a leading NGO which estimates that more than 2,000 people died or disappeared trying to reach the country in the first six months of 2021 - almost as many as perished in attempts in all of last year.

In a report published on Tuesday Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) found that 2,087 people, including 341 women and 96 children, had died or gone missing while trying to reach Spain by sea between January and the end of June this year. Last year, 2,170 migrants and refugees lost their lives or vanished en route to the country.