El Día interviews Beatriz de León Cobo on the Sahel and migration to the Canary Islands

InterviewAtlantic Flows

The Director of IEAM analyses how pressure on Mauritania and instability in the Sahel are influencing migration flows toward the Canary Islands.

20 SEP 2025IEAM TEAM3 MIN READ

El Día interviewed Beatriz de León Cobo, Director of IEAM, following a session organised by the Government of the Canary Islands on the situation in the Sahel and its impact on migration to the archipelago. Published on 3 September 2025 and written by Alexandra Socorro, the interview examines the role of Mauritania, the factors shaping departures and the need for sustained cooperation with African partners.

The factors shaping mobility from the Sahel

De León Cobo links migration dynamics to overlapping pressures: insecurity and economic hardship, weaknesses in governance and public services, and structural challenges such as climate change. In the interview, she highlights the importance of understanding these circumstances alongside people’s search for work and greater stability, particularly in Mali.

A response beyond border controls

Operational support can help address emergencies, but it cannot replace a broader strategy. Her analysis calls for sustained action in countries of origin and transit, combining cooperation, development and coordination between African and European partners.

Keeping the Sahel on Europe’s agenda

The interview places the Sahel within a crowded European foreign-policy agenda. De León Cobo points to the need for continuity: public attention and political priorities change, while the region’s underlying challenges demand a long-term response.

Cooperation with continuity and local ownership

Looking back at international initiatives, she stresses that their impact depends on whether programmes can continue once external funding or attention recedes. Sustainable results require local ownership and institutions capable of maintaining them over time.

The security dimension

Discussing the situation as it stood in September 2025, De León Cobo describes jihadist groups as focused primarily on regional objectives and expansion towards neighbouring West African countries. Her assessment distinguishes these dynamics from the question of a direct threat to the Canary Islands.

Mauritania and the changing Atlantic route

The central argument of the interview concerns the fall in arrivals in the Canary Islands. De León Cobo links it to increased pressure on the Mauritanian authorities and tighter controls, while warning that it was too early to know whether the trend would last. The interview also highlights the Canary Islands’ potential as a meeting point for cooperation between Europe and Africa.

Read the full interview in El Día (Spanish)

Source: El Día · Alexandra Socorro · 3 September 2025. Interview overview by IEAM. Cover: screenshot of the original article.

IEAM Team

Communications

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