7 months ago

Migrants shift to riskier routes to Canaries after Mauritania crackdown

Migrants shift to riskier routes to Canaries after Mauritania crackdown
Migrants using more distant, riskier departure points to Canaries after Mauritania crackdown, Red Cross finds · theprint.in

Migrants trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands are now starting their journeys from farther away and more dangerous places.

This is happening because Mauritania, which used to be a common starting point, has started stopping these migrations more strictly.

The European Union made an agreement with Mauritania to reduce these migrations.

Now, migrants are traveling from places like Guinea and Gambia, which are much farther away.

This makes the trip longer, more expensive, and riskier.

Experts are worried that this will make the journey even more dangerous.

Key facts

Departure Points
Guinea, Gambia, Mauritania
Distance from Conakry to Canaries
2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles)
Journey Duration
11 days
Boats from Gambia in 2025
22
Boats from Gambia in 2024
9
Departures from Mauritania (2025)
23
Departures from Mauritania (2024)
216
Arrivals in Canaries (2025)
Down 59% through October

Quotes

Hassan Ould Moctar

Lecturer in the anthropology of migration at SOAS University of London

“The fact that people are leaving farther south on that route means that they have longer to travel, they need to get farther on supplies, they need money for fuel, all of which means that it’s riskier still. The most lethal crossing to (Europe) is sadly set to become more lethal still.”
theprint.in

Sources

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