Over 36,063 people arrived by land and sea to Spain during the first eight months of 2024, 65% more than in the same period of 2023; around 70.6% arrived in the Canary Islands along the northwest African maritime route.
As of September 2024, there are 5,200 unaccompanied and separated children in the Canary Islands, of which UNHCR estimates a high proportion may be in need of international protection.
In the first half of 2024, 88,206 asylum applications were registered. Over 64% were filed by nationals from Latin America, mainly Venezuelans, Colombians, Peruvians, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans.
HIGHLIGHTS
World Refugee Day
In June, UNHCR and La Caixa Foundation celebrated World Refugee Day with three simultaneous artistic actions in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia by the group of urban artists Boa Mistura. The main event in Madrid, hosted by TV presenter Anne Igartiburu, was attended by the Minister for inclusion, Social Security and Migration and featured refugee testimonies reflecting the positive impact of pledges made by civil society at the 2023 Forum Spain #WithRefugees. Actress and UNHCR High Profile Supporter Elena Anaya and the Afghan refugee hip hop group Superiors Crew—along with Olympic Athlete, Manizha Talash—also participated in the event.