CSN News reports that the number of illegal immigrants arriving in Spain has dropped for the first time in more than a year.

Tuesday, 4th February 2025 at 13 :05

July 2023. July 2023 was the last recorded month of a decline in illegal migration to Spain. Since then, arrivals have increased, making 2024 an year of breaking records. The Canary Islands are now the main route for entry into Spain and the European Union. This trend has now changed. A significant decrease in landings has now been recorded. In January this year, 32.4% less arrivals were recorded than the same period last year.

The number of illegal migrants who reached the Spanish coast in January 2024 was 8,067. This figure has dropped to 5,456 for the first month of 2025. Canary Islands continue to be the area that has saved the most people so far, with 4,752 arrivals. This number is down 34% from the previous year’s count of 7,270 people for the same period. Melilla was the only Spanish territory to see an increase of these arrivals, with six people (twice the number from a year earlier) able to jump over the fence that separates Melilla and Morocco.

The Spanish Ministry of Interior published this drop in numbers on Monday, in the middle of the debate over approving a decree which would allow an extraordinary distribution of foreign minors who are currently being held in the Canary Islands reception system. This measure, proposed by regional governments in the Canary Islands, Basque Country and Spain after the failure of a reform of article 35 (the law on foreigners) at the start of summer, is being examined by the Spanish legal services. It is expected that, once it is approved by the Spanish government’s legal services, it will pass through a committee stage. This is where child protection experts as well as representatives from the relevant ministry for children affairs can provide their input. This meeting will be held during the second week of the month of February. If it receives enough support, it can then go to the Congress of Deputies to be voted on by MPs.

This decrease in arrivals in Spain is in contrast to what happened in other EU nations in the first few months of 2025. Italy, which reduced arrivals last year by 55%, started January with an increase. In 2024, 2,759 people landed on the Italian coast. This year, 5,511 have landed – most of whom are from Bangladesh. Three hundred and seventy-seven of these are unaccompanied minors.

Fernando Clavijo said that the Canary Islands regional leader will define the criteria this week for the distribution unaccompanied minors. The state attorney general will then report the legal form that will be used, “which is currently preparing the report in order to determine if it will be a law decree or bill.” Clavijo said that representatives from the central ministry will also be present at a meeting this week to go over the criteria for distributing these unaccompanied minors.

Clavijo also mentioned that the central government minister for territorial policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, has told him that “there is going to be” funding for the rest of the regions to take in minors who are transferred from the Canaries, and that the Spanish government “is committed to providing it.” He also commented that last week’s trip by the Commission for Children and Young Adolescents to the Canaries where they had the opportunity to “at first-hand” see the situation at El Hierro Migrant Centre as well as different centres for Minors, as well the agreement on Pensions, “gives little hope for the El Hierro situation.” He said: “it gives hope that people’s right will be put before political decisions”. This isn’t the solution being sought which is to amend the law regarding foreigners but at least “to free resources” from all of the current pressure and be able guarantee minors a life and a future.