Coastguards in Mauritania have recovered the bodies of 89 migrants from a boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Nine individuals, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued, but many others remain missing.
Survivors reported that the vessel, a traditional fishing boat, departed last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board. It capsized off Mauritania’s southwestern coast.
Mauritania serves as a crucial transit point for migrants attempting to reach Europe from West Africa, with thousands of boats departing from the country each year. The most common destination on this perilous route is Spain’s Canary Islands.
According to the Spanish government, nearly 40,000 people arrived in the Canary Islands last year, doubling the previous year’s figures. Migrants often embark on overloaded boats in desperate attempts to reach Europe.
Camino-dando Fronteras charity estimates that over 5,000 migrants died while attempting to cross to Spain by sea in the first five months of 2024.
In April, the EU approved €210 million in aid for Mauritania, with nearly €60 million earmarked for efforts to combat undocumented migration to Europe.
