Canaries-bound crossings from Guinea-Bissau area down 45% in 2026; deaths up

Recorded irregular border crossings on the Western Africa migration route fell sharply in the first nine months of 2026, according to figures released by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) on 19 October. At the same time, arrivals on the Canary Islands have risen in recent weeks, deaths have been reported at sea and police in Guinea-Bissau have freed dozens of people held by a suspected trafficking network.

Key facts

• 7,106 crossings were recorded on the Western Africa route between January and September 2026, 45% fewer than in the same period of 2025 (Frontex data published 19 October 2026)
• At least 4,162 people arrived on the Canary Islands between 16 August and 15 October, and at least 1,414 reached El Hierro in about 20 small boats between 18 and 25 October
• At least 12 people died and an unknown number were reported missing after a boat sank off The Gambia on 15 October
• 71 people were freed by police in Guinea-Bissau on 21 October

What do the figures show?

Frontex recorded 7,106 crossings on the Western Africa route from January to September 2026, a 45% decrease compared with the same months of the previous year. The agency attributed the drop to preventive measures taken by Mauritania, and more recently by Senegal and The Gambia, in cooperation with Spain and the EU.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) published separate data on 13 October confirming a decrease in arrivals in Europe from West Africa in the first half of 2026. IOM Director General Amy Pope cautioned that lower numbers in one place do not mean the pressure has disappeared, saying such flows often move to other routes.

What is happening in the Canary Islands?

At least 1,414 people reached the island of El Hierro in around 20 small boats between 18 and 25 October, and at least 4,162 arrived across the Canary Islands between 16 August and 15 October. Elsewhere on the route, at least 12 people died and an unknown number went missing after a boat sank off The Gambia on 15 October, while 260 people were rescued from two boats off Mauritania on 27 September.

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo said on 26 October that he had written to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez demanding "urgent actions", and that he expected a reply within days. He described the situation on El Hierro as dramatic and the conditions at the region's temporary assistance centre for foreigners (CATE) as very undesirable.

Less than two weeks earlier, the Canary Islands parliament unanimously backed a non-legislative proposal calling for more human, material and technological resources for air and naval surveillance in the region. The proposal envisages coordinated action by the Civil Guard, the National Police, armed forces resources and Frontex, and closer cooperation with countries of origin and transit to curb irregular departures and dismantle human trafficking networks.

What happened in Guinea-Bissau?

Guinea-Bissau's Judicial Police freed 71 people of various nationalities during raids on two properties in the north of the capital, Bissau, on 21 October, the French Press Agency (AFP) reported. Investigators said the network was involved in human trafficking and fraud, and that the victims — people hoping to migrate — had been lured by false promises of travel to and work in Europe, Canada and the US.

The IOM said on 13 October that increased controls in traditional embarkation areas in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal had pushed departures southwards towards The Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, which is emerging as a departure point for the Atlantic route.

Attention now turns to the Spanish government's response to the Canary Islands' request for additional support, which Clavijo said he expected within days of his 26 October letter.