South Saharan migrants land in Canary Islands assisted by Red Cross volunteers. Credit: Canary4stock, Shutterstock.
Spain recorded 36,775 irregular migrant arrivals in 2025, a 42.6 per cent decrease from 64,019 in 2024, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry’s year-end migration balance (Interior Ministry data PDF).
The decline was driven mainly by a sharp reduction in arrivals to the Canary Islands, while other routes, including the Balearics, saw increases.
Spain’s Interior Ministry figures
The Interior Ministry’s published totals show 36,775 irregular arrivals in 2025 – the largest annual reduction in recent years as reported by Spanish media citing the official balance.
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While national totals fell, route-level reporting indicates the change was not uniform across Spain’s coasts and islands, with some corridors seeing higher activity even as the overall figure dropped.
Canary Islands route saw the biggest fall
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands was widely reported as the main factor behind the national decline. RTVE said arrivals to the Canaries fell by around 62 per cent to 17,788 in 2025 (RTVE).
Balearics route reported to rise
Despite the overall fall, reporting indicates an increase in arrivals in the Balearic Islands. Reports state that irregular arrivals to the Balearics rose by 24.5 per cent to 7,321 in 2025.
Reuters reported in November 2025 that arrivals in the Balearics surged at points during the year and linked this to route changes used by smuggling networks, describing “smugglers switch routes” dynamics.
The fall in arrivals came alongside continued warnings about deaths on the migration routes towards Spain. The NGO Caminando Fronteras reported 3,090 deaths in 2025 among people attempting to reach Spain.
These NGO figures are separate from official arrival totals and are compiled using different methods, but they are frequently cited in public debate about the humanitarian impact of maritime crossings.
What will happen with irregular migration in 2026?
Policy and capacity pressures are expected to remain a live issue, particularly for frontline territories. In April 2025, Reuters reported that Spain’s lawmakers approved a plan aimed at relocating unaccompanied migrant minors from the Canary Islands and Ceuta to other regions, as authorities sought to relieve pressure on local services.
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