At least 454 people have died or gone missing since the start of 2026 after migrating irregularly from West Africa to Europe, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported.
The entity drew attention to "changes in migration flows" in the Atlantic route from West Africa. The departure points of boats with migrants "are moving further south, towards Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, increasing the duration of the journeys and exposing the migrants to even greater danger at sea".
The organization's executive director, Amy Pope, called on countries to "join forces" to fight networks of smugglers and traffickers who "take advantage of human desperation" by transporting migrants for a fee in "vessels that are completely unsuitable for sea navigation".