A tragic incident occurred on Monday when a migrant boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving at least 89 people dead.
The overcrowded vessel, a traditional fishing boat, departed from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with an estimated 170 people on board. Mauritanian coastguards were able to rescue nine survivors, including a young girl, but dozens remain missing.
Mauritania is a frequent transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe from West Africa. Many attempt the perilous journey to Spain’s Canary Islands, with the Spanish government reporting nearly 40,000 arrivals last year, a significant increase from 2023.
Driven by desperation, migrants often travel in unsafe and overloaded boats. This year alone, over 5,000 are estimated to have died trying to reach Spain by sea.
In an effort to address this issue, the European Union recently provided Mauritania with €210 million in aid, with a portion designated to support efforts against undocumented migration to Europe.
