Migrants wait to disembark from a boat at La Restinga dock, in the municipality of El Pinar on the Canary Island of El Hierro, on Oct 31, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

MADRID — Over 50,000 illegal migrants have reached Spain in 2023, according to data published by the Ministry of the Interior on Monday.

The latest "Irregular Immigration" report covering the period from Jan 1 to Dec 15 shows that 52,945 illegal immigrants reached Spain in the period, up 76.2 percent from the same period in 2022.

The "Canary Island route" is considered the most lethal migrant route in the world, where migrants must cross at least 100 km of open ocean

It is also the first time the 50,000 people barrier has been broken since 2018, when 57,498 people arrived illegally.

READ MORE: Migrant kids treated as adults with Canary Islands influx

The overwhelming majority of the illegal migration arrivals in 2023 was by sea. Among them, 72 percent reached the Canary Islands, up 140 percent from that in 2022, setting a new record for the islands since 2006.

The "Canary Island route" is considered the most lethal migrant route in the world, where migrants must cross at least 100 km of open ocean. The Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras estimated that at least 7,800 died trying to make the crossing between 2018 and 2022.

READ MORE: Senegalese navy stops two migrant boats with 272 people

Last week, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said the migration crisis in Spain is a "European responsibility" which needs a "European response."