The number of migrants reaching Spain's Canary Islands (an Atlantic archipelago that serves as one of Europe's southernmost entry points) fell sharply in early 2025, with roughly 17,000 arrivals recorded — about 40 percent of the previous year's record figure — as European Union payments to West African nations take effect. The EU has provided Mauritania with $250 million and neighbouring Senegal with $35 million to intercept migrants before they can embark on the perilous five-to-ten-day Atlantic crossing, during which those who drift off course have been found mummified as far away as South America. Human Rights Watch has accused Mauritanian security forces of torture, rape, and violence against would-be migrants in the context of those EU-funded crackdowns, warning that Brussels is prioritising border enforcement over human lives, while Mauritania denies the allegations and says it has carried out reforms.