World: IOM, UNHCR and ICVA Launch Platform to Map Protection Gaps Along Western Africa Atlantic Route

Countries: World, Mauritania, Niger Sources: International Council of Voluntary Agencies, International Organization for Migration, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Geneva, 12 May 2026 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and ICVA, a global NGO network for principled and effective humanitarian action, ‎today launched a new online dashboard to map protection and assistance services available ‎to refugees and migrants along key routes, starting with the Western Africa Atlantic Route. The tool provides a cross-regional overview of available services and urgent gaps. It aims to strengthen programme design and coordination, and to support referrals and improve planning and resource mobilization, while helping refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants access relevant, timely and tailored information, protection and assistance where they are. The plan is to gradually expand the product to other major mixed movements routes. By identifying where services are available and where critical gaps persist, the platform helps partners and authorities prioritize interventions that mitigate reliance on irregular and dangerous journeys including smuggling networks, strengthen local support systems and address the drivers and risks associated with irregular movement along the route. The Western Africa Atlantic Route, stretching from inland Sahelian regions through border towns, mining areas and coastal departure points toward the Canary Islands, has become one of the world’s most dangerous mixed movement routes. Refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants travelling along this route face violence, exploitation, human trafficking, arbitrary detention, expulsions and perilous sea crossings. The new dashboard supports a joint approach by UNHCR, IOM and partners along key routes to reduce harm, save lives...

Original source: Relief Web