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Arrivals surged more than tenfold between 2019 and 2020 as the Central Mediterranean route was hardened. Shaded bands reflect Spanish government composition (PP in blue-grey, PSOE in orange-tint).
Caminando Fronteras research suggests the Atlantic route carries the highest death-to-arrival ratio of any migration corridor globally. The 1,400–1,700 km open-ocean crossing offers almost no rescue infrastructure, and drifting vessels are frequently never found.