FEATURE | Open borders NGOs demand zero accountability for illegal migrant smugglers

"They come because they want to find a better life," he said.

Arencibia works on cases of accused migrants in the Canary Islands, where nearly 47,000 people arrived illegally in 2024.

He has been documenting arrests made under people-smuggling laws in the Atlantic region of Spain.

For a third year in a row, the number of migrants accused under these laws across Europe increased in 2024, with 91 migrants facing legal proceedings, a 20 per cent increase on 2023, according to an April report.