In a tragic incident, coastguards in Mauritania have recovered 89 bodies from a migrant boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued, but many more remain missing.
Survivors recounted that the vessel, a traditional fishing boat, departed from the Senegalese-Gambian border area last week with 170 people on board. It capsized off Mauritania’s southwestern coast.
Mauritania serves as a crucial transit point for migrants aiming to reach Europe from West Africa, with thousands of boats setting sail from the country annually. The most common destination on this hazardous route is Spain’s Canary Islands. According to the Spanish government, nearly 40,000 migrants arrived there last year, a figure that has doubled from the previous year.
Desperation to reach Europe often drives migrants to travel in overloaded boats, leading to frequent tragedies. Caminando Fronteras, a charity, estimates that more than 5,000 migrants died while attempting to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of 2024.
In response to the ongoing migrant crisis, the European Union granted Mauritania €210 million in aid in April, with almost €60 million allocated specifically to combat undocumented migration to Europe.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
