Arrivals, deaths, and disappearances from West Africa to Canary Islands 2016-2020

The migration route from the coasts of West Africa to the Canary Islands, in Spain, is active since 2006. In the last years, more African migrants have been taking this route to reach the Spanish archipelago, the closest territory of the European Union from West Africa. The main nationalities of people crossing the Atlantic route are Mali, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal. Tracking migration routes is complex and the actual number of deaths is difficult to fully picture. Between January and November 2020, over 17 thousand people arrived in the Canary Islands crossing the Western African-Atlantic Route. Some 529 people died or disappeared along this sea route.