Welcome
COMPASS is a project under the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 program, whose ultimate goal is to establish an Observatory on Human Mobility between the Canary Islands and Africa. To achieve this, we take a comprehensive approach to the migration phenomenon, proposing solutions that promote circular migration as a method to address the challenges that arise at various stages—from the origin and transit of migrants to their integration into new societies. The project focuses on the cooperation area that includes the Canary Islands, Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal—territories that serve as points of origin, transit, and destination for migratory flows (46,843 people arrived by sea in 2024, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior).
Understanding and comprehensively addressing the challenges related to migration in the region—by identifying key stakeholders, detecting best practices, observing gaps, and proposing innovative solutions to facilitate the management of regular migration within the COMPASS cooperation area—will allow us to activate various mechanisms that can be successfully implemented in the short and long term. This will promote international collaboration and the well-being of both migrant populations and host communities. The project website can be consulted HERE.
To achieve this objective, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the COMPASS Project partners are organizing an international academic and institutional meeting, open to the participation of all experts and stakeholders involved. We invite all actors engaged in the migration phenomenon on both shores and across the European Union to contribute their knowledge and reflections. The activity is structured as a comprehensive academic approach that addresses the complexity of migration during the transit and destination phases. This event includes a scientific meeting to share knowledge, joint working sessions, and networking among public entities, followed by the publication of the congress proceedings, which will serve as the initial analytical document for the development of the project.
The thematic discussions will explore crucial aspects such as:
- The state organization of migratory movements,
- Training processes for migrants,
- Evaluation of skills and labor demand in host societies,
- Accurate information on safe migration processes,
- And communication and awareness-raising on both shores.