UE: Politiques Migratoires Dévient Route Atlantique Sénégal, Augmentant Risques

• Hundreds of young people from West Africa are attempting perilous two-week journeys across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands in makeshift canoes.
• Over 10,000 deaths or disappearances were recorded on this route in 2024, averaging 27 fatalities daily.
• The shift to this deadly Atlantic route is directly linked to EU migration policies post-2015, which externalized border control and closed other migration paths.
• Human trafficking on this route has become highly professionalized since 2022, utilizing methods like WhatsApp recruitment and scout canoes, with traffickers earning significant profits.
• The collapse of artisanal fishing due to industrial overexploitation is a key socio-economic factor driving many to undertake or facilitate these dangerous migrations.

The shift of desperate individuals to the Atlantic route is directly linked to European Union migration policies implemented after 2015, which prioritized externalized border control.

Hundreds of young individuals from Senegal, Mali, and Guinea are regularly embarking on perilous journeys across the Atlantic, attempting to reach the Canary Islands in makeshift canoes. This treacherous route, stretching over 1,500 kilometers and often taking nearly two weeks, is globally recognized as one of the most dangerous. A recent video report by Le Monde has shed light on the increasingly structured nature of the human trafficking operations facilitating these crossings.

One stark illustration of this crisis occurred on June 25, 2026, when Senegalese police intercepted a canoe in Bassoul, within the Sine Saloum islands, carrying over 270 people bound for the Canary Islands. The human cost of this migration is staggering; the NGO Caminando Fronteras documented more than 10,000 deaths or disappearances along this route in 2024 alone, equating to approximately 27 fatalities daily. These grim statistics underscore the extreme risks faced by those seeking a better life, often driven by a complex interplay of socio-economic factors and shifting migration dynamics.

The dramatic increase in migration along the Atlantic route from West Africa, particularly from Senegal to the Canary Islands, is directly linked to European Union migration policies implemented after 2015, according to a geographer specializing in West African migrations. Following the La Valette summit, the EU significantly reinforced its strategy of externalizing border control. This involved providing funding to local police forces, offering training to coast guards, and conditioning development aid on efforts to prevent departures from African nations.

These policies effectively led to the progressive closure of traditional Saharan and Mediterranean migration routes. As a consequence, illegal expulsions became more frequent, with 34,000 individuals reportedly expelled from Algeria to the Nigerien desert in a single year, largely without significant European attention. Faced with this intensified lockdown of established paths, prospective migrants were compelled to seek alternative routes, leading to a significant diversion towards the Atlantic coast, where the `politiques migratoires UE route atlantique Sénégal` have had a profound and deadly impact.

The shift to the Atlantic route has coincided with a marked professionalization of human trafficking operations since 2022, as noted by a researcher cited in the report. These sophisticated networks now employ various tactics, including recruitment via WhatsApp, deploying lookouts to monitor local gendarmerie, and utilizing scout canoes to evade national navy patrols. The cost of a crossing varies significantly, ranging from 230,000 to 650,000 CFA francs, depending on the migrant's nationality, highlighting the lucrative nature of this illicit trade.

Le Monde estimates that traffickers can net between 20,000 and 30,000 euros per voyage. Despite a reported 62% decrease in arrivals to the Canary Islands between 2024 and 2025, the summer of 2026 saw a resurgence, with nearly 2,000 arrivals between June and August. To circumvent Senegalese controls, these trafficking networks have adapted by relocating their departure points to neighboring countries such as Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, and Guinea-Bissau, further complicating efforts to curb the `trafic migrants atlantique` and the associated `mortalité route migratoire Canaries`.

Beyond the immediate policy shifts, the underlying socio-economic collapse of artisanal fishing in West Africa serves as a critical driver for this desperate `migration Sénégal Canaries`. Overexploitation by industrial trawlers, some of which engage in illegal fishing practices as denounced by Greenpeace, has severely depleted fish stocks. This environmental degradation has decimated the livelihoods of many traditional fishermen, pushing them to abandon their trade and, in some cases, to reorient their skills towards organizing these dangerous sea crossings rather than participating in fishing themselves.

The human toll of this crisis is deeply personal and widespread. A coordinator for artisanal fishermen's councils in Rufisque recounted the tragic loss of his youngest son, who departed without warning on a canoe carrying 140 other passengers, none of whom ever arrived at their destination. In 2025 alone, out of approximately 18,000 migrants who reached the Spanish archipelago, more than 1,900 individuals never completed their journey, underscoring the profound and ongoing tragedy unfolding along the `route atlantique Sénégal`.

Lawyers advising on international human rights, migration, or criminal law should be aware of the alleged direct link between EU externalized border control policies and the increased professionalization of deadly human trafficking routes from West Africa. This context is crucial for assessing state responsibility, advising on non-refoulement principles, and understanding the evolving legal landscape for combating organized crime in the region.

Source: Original reporting via Le Monde