The Gambia has been identified as a major departure point on the Atlantic migration route to Europe, according to a new map published by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The map traces departure points across Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, showing routes to Spain’s Canary Islands, distances and shipwreck locations.
The IOM said intensified border monitoring has pushed departures further south, making journeys from countries like The Gambia longer and more dangerous.
Between January and June 2026, 3,708 migrants reached the Canary Islands by boat from West and North Africa, down 67% from 11,321 in the same period in 2025. The number of boats dropped from 186 to 49, a 74% fall.
However, 59 boats failed to reach the islands in that period, with 168 migrants dying or disappearing. IOM warned the true figure is higher as many shipwrecks go unreported.
Shipwrecks recorded in early 2026 occurred mainly off the Canary Islands, Morocco and Mauritania. Victims were mostly unidentified, presumed to be from sub-Saharan Africa.
The map shows Nouadhibou, Mauritania is 791km from the Canary Islands, Saint-Louis, Senegal 1,541km, Ziguinchor 2,136km and Conakry 2,423km — illustrating the extreme distances migrants departing from The Gambia and further south must cover.
IOM said the Atlantic route, active until 2006, has seen rising movements since 2020.
The organisation stressed data remains incomplete, with no harmonised system to track departures from West Africa. Its Missing Migrants Project relies on field offices, NGOs and media reports, so figures are minimum estimates.
