On Tuesday, the Senegalese navy recovered 17 additional bodies from a migrant boat that capsized off the coast, bringing the death toll to 26.
The Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, commonly used by African migrants attempting to reach Spain, is one of the world’s most treacherous.
The motivations behind these perilous crossings include years of Islamist conflict in the Sahel region, unemployment, and the impact of climate change on farming communities.
The ill-fated vessel, a wooden fishing boat known as a pirogue, was carrying over 100 migrants from Mbour, Senegal. It capsized just 4 km (2.5 miles) into its journey, according to state broadcaster Radio Television Senegalaise.
The Senegalese navy launched a search and rescue operation, deploying three boats and a Spanish plane. On Tuesday, they reported the latest death toll on their X account.
Previously, on Monday, the navy had recovered nine bodies and reported that local fishermen had rescued an unknown number of survivors. The same day, they intercepted two other boats carrying 421 migrants attempting to cross.
According to the European Union’s border agency, there has been a 154% increase in migrants using this route in 2024, with 21,620 crossings to the Canary Islands in the first seven months.
Spanish authorities warn that up to 150,000 more migrants from Africa may attempt the crossing this year.
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