Women Risk Lives on Spain Boat to Europe | Migration Crisis
Migrant Boat Tragedy in Canary Islands Highlights Risks for Women
Updated june 13, 2025
A devastating incident off the coast of El Hierro in spain’s Canary Islands has brought the dangers faced by women migrants into sharp focus. On May 28, a boat carrying migrants capsized just meters from the pier in La restinga, resulting in the deaths of four women and three girls. The migrant crisis continues to impact the region.
The vessel, which had traveled from the west coast of Africa, carried 145 people.While many made it ashore, the seven victims were among approximately 15 women and girls trapped beneath the overturned boat. The Atlantic crossing to the Canary Islands has become an increasingly popular, yet perilous, route to Europe as the EU cracks down on Mediterranean crossings.
The Red Cross reports that over 20,000 migrants arrived in El Hierro in 2024, nearly doubling the island’s population.Women comprised almost half of the passengers on the boat, spotlighting the growing number of women and girls undertaking these journeys.
Data from the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (Cear) indicates that nearly 15% of irregular entries to the Canary islands sence 2021 have been women.The UN refugee agency attributes this trend to escalating conflicts in the Sahel region, displacing millions from countries like Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
Human rights groups note that more women are migrating due to armed conflicts, poverty, gender-based violence, and forced marriage. Juan carlos Lorenzo,a coordinator at Cear,said women are increasingly becoming the main actors in their own migration routes.
Madeleine*, who traveled with her niece on the capsized boat, recounted escaping criticism from her husband’s family after seeking work. She also feared her niece woudl be subjected to genital mutilation. Both were rescued after Madeleine had to release her niece in the water.
Sira*, another woman on the boat, said she left Guinea to provide opportunities for her two daughters. She described being trapped in enclosed compartments, struggling to breathe when the boat capsized. Her four-year-old daughter drowned.
Sira said rescue teams initially focused on those in the sea, but local residents eventually helped pull her and others to safety after the boat flipped again.
* Names have been changed. Sira and her surviving daughter are now living in a shelter on Tenerife.
What’s next
The Canary Islands continue to grapple with the influx of migrants, and aid organizations are working to provide support to the survivors and address the root causes driving women and girls to undertake these dangerous journeys.