West and Central Africa — Irregular Migration Routes to Europe — Western African Atlantic Route (January — December 2021)

Irregular migration is a complex, dynamic and fragmented phenomenon, and remains difficult to fully picture. Strengthening the understanding of migration routes, trends as well as migrant profiles is critical in order to protect migrants and support evidence-based policies. The International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and Missing Migrants Project (MMP) collect data on the departures, arrivals, deaths and disappearances of migrants along migratory routes.

This document presents the resumption of migration from the coasts of West Africa to the Canary Islands (Spain). This route, already active in 2006, saw an increasing number of movements in 2021. The risks, deaths and disappearances following shipwrecks are also on the rise along the Atlantic coasts.

Between January and December 2021, 22,316 individuals reached the Canary Islands irregularly by boat, after crossing from West African Coasts, representing a slight decrease of 707 people compared to 2020 (23,023)