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In recent years, the West African Atlantic Route (WAAR) has seen a resurgence in number of migrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands irregularly by sea. Year after year, the number of migrants arriving irregularly to the Canary Islands has continued to increase. Between January and March 2025, 9,424 migrants arrived irregularly to the Canary Islands. While many of these arrivals originated fromthe coasts of Morocco or Mauritania, the coast of The Gambia has also emerged as a location of departure. In response, IOM The Gambia has been monitoring key departure points in specific areas along the Gambian coastline since March 2025. The Departure Areas Monitoring Tool highlights relevant events reported by Community Focal Points (CFPs) to better understand the profiles of the migrants, the patterns of events and report on their associated risks.