Irregular maritime migrations: islands in the network of routes

Abstract

The Canary Islands are part of the irregular maritime routes for African emigration to the European mainland. The small size of the islands, in geographic, demographic and economic terms, poses a unique challenge to managing the arrival of migrants, specifically if we consider the relative unpredictability of the phenomenon. This makes it necessary to consider certain key elements in order to understand how irregular maritime migrations toward the Canary Islands have evolved in the past decade.