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The migrants were traveling on artisanal fishing boats, known as pirogues. These crudely manufactured and ill-equipped boats capsized by strong winds and Atlantic currents
More than a dozen migrants died and at least 150 others are missing after their boat capsized off Mauritania on their way to Europe. This was revealed by the International Organization for Migration (IMO). Frantic search and rescue operations are on.
300 migrants on the boat capsized on Monday near the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. Of that, 120 have been rescued by the Mauritanian Coast Guard. The migrants’ destination was Spain’s Canary Islands. The migrants were traveling on artisanal fishing boats, known as pirogues. These crudely manufactured and ill-equipped boats can be capsized by strong winds and Atlantic currents. The risky journey had stolen many lives over the years. Among those so far rescued in Monday’s incident were four unaccompanied and separated children.
African migrants trying to reach Europe are often fleeing poverty and instability. Although it is their journey to make, the decision to leave is sometimes not personal but made by their families in the hope of positive outcomes.
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Nearly 20,000 migrants have arrived irregularly in the Canary Islands using the Mauritania route this year. This is three times the flow of migrants in 2023. At least 1,950 migrants died on that route last year, which the IOM said was the second-deadliest year on record.
