West African migration: Fewer arrive, more die

Arrivals by sea in Europe from West Africa West migration has declined by nearly 60% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to the International Organization for Migration.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), only 4,566 people from Mali, Senegal, Guinea and Gambia were registered upon arrival in Europe between January and June 2026. The Atlantic route remains their main gateway with 83% of arrivals.

This figure masks a darker reality. Increased border controls in Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal are pushing departures further south, from Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. These departure points are much further from the Canary Islands, mechanically lengthening the crossing by an additional 750 km, bringing the total distance at sea to as much as 2,200 km.

Longer journeys mean more days at sea, in isolated and less monitored coastal areas, with a greater risk of breakdown, dehydration and shipwreck.

As a result, the route has become much more dangerous. On the Canary Islands route, arrivals fell by 62% between 2024 and 2025, but the number of deaths only decreased by 4%, with 1,172 deaths recorded in 2025.

At the same time, West Africans represent a growing share of arrivals on other routes: 21.9% in the western Mediterranean and 10.5% in the central Mediterranean.

For the IOM, this observation calls for a coordinated response. "A decrease in the number of arrivals in a given place does not mean that the pressures have disappeared, they simply shift," the organization emphasizes, calling for strengthened cooperation and safe and regular migration pathways.

Mactar Ndiaye

On Wed., Oct. 14, 2026 at 3:49 PM, 'NDIAYE PAPE' via Seneweb Correspondents < [email protected] > wrote:

West African migration: Fewer arrive, more die

Sea arrivals in Europe from West Africa fell by nearly 60% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to the International Organization for Migration.

According to the IOM, only 4,566 people from Mali, Senegal, Guinea and Gambia were registered upon arrival in Europe between January and June 2026. The Atlantic route remains their main gateway with 83% of arrivals.

This figure masks a darker reality. Increased border controls in Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal are pushing departures further south, from Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. These departure points are much further from the Canary Islands, mechanically lengthening the crossing by an additional 750 km, bringing the total distance at sea to as much as 2,200 km.

Longer journeys mean more days at sea, in isolated and less monitored coastal areas, with a greater risk of breakdown, dehydration and shipwreck.

As a result, the route has become much more dangerous. On the Canary Islands route, arrivals fell by 62% between 2024 and 2025, but the number of deaths only decreased by 4%, with 1,172 deaths recorded in 2025.

At the same time, West Africans represent a growing share of arrivals on other routes: 21.9% in the western Mediterranean and 10.5% in the central Mediterranean.

For the IOM, this observation calls for a coordinated response. "A decrease in the number of arrivals in a given place does not mean that the pressures have disappeared, they simply shift," the organization emphasizes, calling for strengthened cooperation and safe and regular migration pathways.