Spain's Canary Islands received record 46,843 migrants in 2024: ministry

The landmark came as the European country received 63,970 irregular migrants last year, the vast majority in the Atlantic archipelago, up from 56,852 in 2023, the interior ministry said. Spain has moved to the forefront of the European Union's migration crisis as tighter controls in the Mediterranean push more migrants to attempt the perilous trip from west Africa to the Canaries. EU border agency Frontex has said irregular crossings into the bloc from January to November 2024 fell 40 percent overall.