Irregular migration through southern Spain sees sharp decline, report says

In its latest report, covering the year 2025, the Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR, a Spanish NGO which offers aid and support for refugees) has recorded a significant drop in traffic between northern Morocco and Spain. 

While the Strait was considered the main gateway for irregular arrivals into Europe during the 1990s and 2000s, patterns have undergone what CEAR described as a substantial change and the coast between the Campo de Gibraltar and Cádiz is now used rarely and predominantly by Moroccan nationals. 

The report also noted that no arrivals were recorded in 2025 on the route connecting northern Morocco to Málaga. 

At the same time, new and in some cases longer migration trajectories have emerged. Routes that first appeared in late 2024, including the Somalia-Algeria-Balearic Islands corridor, have now become established. 

Overall, seaborne migrant arrivals to Spain fell significantly in 2025, dropping from 61,372 in 2024 to 32,925. CEAR said the decrease was driven largely by a sharp reduction in arrivals to the Canary Islands. 

Other regions, however, recorded increases. 

The Balearic Islands received 7,321 arrivals, 24.5% more than in 2024, while Almería recorded 5,157 arrivals after a brief drop the previous year. 

Using data from the Spanish Red Cross, CEAR said the main countries of origin for migrants arriving on Spanish shores in 2025 were Algeria, accounting for 27% of arrivals, followed by Mali (17%), Morocco and Senegal (15% each). 

Compared to 2024, the 2025 figures reflect how Algerian nationals represented a larger proportion of arrivals (from 16% to 27% of the total),  

The proportion of Malians remained the same while, for Moroccans, it was a slight increase (from 13% to 15%) and a decline for Senegalese (from 20% to 15%). 

The report also highlighted changes in the demographic profile of migrants arriving at Spain’s main maritime entry points. 

In the Canary Islands, arrival patterns remained broadly similar to those recorded in 2024. 

In the Balearic Islands, however, more than half of arrivals in 2025 originated from sub-Saharan African countries. This marked a shift, when more than 70% of migrants arriving via the route were Algerian nationals. 

CEAR also reported that 4,980 unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents arrived on Spanish coasts during 2025.