Canary Islands migration route flagged as potential jihadist conduit from Sahel to Europe

Intelligence analysts warn that the Sahel region has become a hub for jihadist activity, with recent attacks in Mali and a bombing near Niger's Niamey airport attributed to Daesh. Groups linked to Al Qaeda, such as JNIM, and the Tuareg-affiliated Front of Liberation of Azawad have intensified operations.

Spanish authorities are now focusing on the Canary Islands, which lie about 1,000 km from the Sahel, as a possible entry point for militants using migrant flows to reach continental Europe. "Sí es cierto que ha habido algún atentado terrorista en Europa cometido por algún migrante irregular que había entrado por Lampedusa u otro puerto", said Beatriz de León Cobo of the Spanish Institute for Migration Analysis. However, she added that such cases are exceptional and the likelihood of Sahel-born jihadists orchestrating attacks via the Canary route is "extremely low".

Experts note that the growing insecurity in the Sahel drives thousands to attempt perilous Atlantic crossings, often facilitated by organized crime networks that control human‑smuggling, drug and arms trafficking. "La infiltración en las rutas migratorias es en este sentido muy sencilla, sobre todo porque están controladas por las mafias", explained terrorism scholar Beatriz Gutiérrez. The situation raises security concerns for Europe, with Brussels monitoring the potential spill‑over effects of power vacuums and poverty in the Sahel on migration and terrorism.