In the first eight months of 2022, 10.25% fewer irregular immigrants have arrived in Spain than in the same period last year. At this point in the year the statistics have been reversed. In the first fortnight of March, days in which Spain and Morocco left their diplomatic crisis behind, the arrival of immigrants to Spanish territory grew by 76.9%.
Until August 31, 19,007 people have arrived in Spain irregularly. In 2021, 21,178 migrants did so. Of these, 17,170 did so by sea. So far this year, 902 small boats have arrived compared to 1,347 in 2021, which represents a decrease of 33%.
The flows of immigrants on the routes to the peninsula continue to decline. Specifically, 34.89% less than in the first eight months of 2021. The Canarian route is increasing, although it continues its trend of recent months in which it is slowing down its growth in large steps since Spain and Morocco sealed their new Roadmap. If in February the growth of this route accounted for 70.9%, in May it was 50.5% and now it stands at 14.9%. The last three months will be decisive to see if this downward trend is confirmed.
In mid-March, the letter in which the head of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez, changed Spain's historical position on the Sahara was revealed. In that letter, with which a new path of bilateral relations began, the agreement reached to "face" common challenges was collected, "especially cooperation in the management of migratory flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, always acting with a spirit of full cooperation.
