Irregular arrivals to Spain fall overall but increase on routes tied to Morocco

Spain registered 34,251 irregular migrant arrivals between January and the end of November 2025, according to new data from the Spanish Interior Ministry. 

The total number of arrivals is down 29.9% compared to the same period in 2024, when Spain counted 56,976 people.

 Most entries this year happened by sea, with 30,692 migrants reaching Spanish shores on boats. That number is sharply lower than last year’s 54,541, marking a 43.7% drop.

But the situation isn’t uniform across regions. Baleares stands out with a notable spike. The islands saw 6,688 arrivals this year, up by 1,476 people, a jump of 28.3% compared to 2024. 

They also recorded 366 boats, 54 more than last year. Many of these crossings originate from Morocco or involve migrants transiting through Moroccan territory before heading out to sea.

On the Peninsula, arrivals by sea fell by 8.7% to 7,167 people, with 522 boats recorded, 171 fewer than last year. Combined, the Peninsula and Baleares received 13,855 migrants, 6% more than the same period in 2024.

The Canary Islands, once at the center of Europe’s migration debate, saw a sharp decline. Only 16,807 migrants reached the islands this year, compared to 41,425 in 2024, a drop of 59.4%. 

Authorities counted 255 boats, less than half the number recorded last year. This route is heavily linked to departures from southern Morocco and Mauritania.

Meanwhile, Ceuta and Melilla, the two Spanish enclaves bordering Morocco, show increasing pressure on land routes. 

Ceuta recorded 3,268 irregular entries by land this year, a 39.4% jump from 2024. Most of these crossings happened by climbing the fenced border or through the breakwaters. 

At least 43 people died attempting these dangerous crossings in 2025, many of them young Moroccan and Algerian migrants.

Melilla also saw an increase in land entries, reaching 291 people, compared to just 91 last year, a rise of 219%. 

Maritime arrivals to the enclaves remained low: only five people reached Ceuta by boat this year, compared with 28 in 2024, while Melilla registered 25, slightly up from 21 last year.

The Interior Ministry’s report provides only the number of successful entries. It does not include the countless attempts stopped by border forces on the Moroccan side or at the fences. These attempts, especially around Ceuta, take place almost daily and reflect the scale of pressure in the region.