More than 1 300 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish coast in the first five months of 2026, according to an advocacy group that tracks crossings from Africa along perilous routes through the Atlantic Ocean and western Mediterranean Sea. 

Caminando Fronteras, or Walking Borders, published the report on Wednesday ahead of Pope Leo's visit to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago that has seen a surge in irregular migration over the past decade.

The report stated that 1 317 people have died trying to reach the Spanish coast, including 142 women and 129 children, during the first five months of 2026. This includes 27 boats that disappeared with everyone on board.

The pope has focused on the treatment of migrants during his visit to Spain this week, describing their plight as a problem challenging the ethical foundation of the international order.

Rights groups say migrants are undertaking longer and riskier routes across the Atlantic Ocean to avoid detection as efforts to stop crossings have intensified in places like Mauritania, which is close to Europe.

In 2025, 3 090 people lost their lives or disappeared trying to reach the Spanish coast, according to the group.

The shortest distance between the Canary Islands and the West African coast is roughly 100 km.

Migrants also often attempt to swim along a different route from Morocco to Spain that is roughly 20 km wide.