UN reports 144 dead or missing after migrant boat drifts at sea for 25 days
At least 144 refugees and migrants are dead or missing following a series of incidents off Mauritania. The deadliest involved a boat from The Gambia that drifted for 25 days; only 38 out of 181 people survived.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported that at least 144 refugees and migrants are dead or missing after multiple maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania, marking the latest tragedy on the increasingly dangerous Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Europe's Atlantic islands.
Between July 14 and 18, three rescue operations were conducted from the Mauritanian port city of Nouadhibou, bringing 387 people of various nationalities safely ashore. The deadliest incident involved a boat that departed Bufuloto, The Gambia, bound for Spain's Canary Islands, 905 nautical miles (1,677 kilometers) away. The vessel was rescued on Saturday after drifting at sea for nearly 25 days, but only 38 people survived. UNHCR confirmed that 143 others on board were reported dead or missing.
In a statement, the agency said, "Among the survivors were two children, who had lost all their family members during the journey and are now recovering in hospital with other survivors." An additional death was recorded among people rescued from another vessel on July 14.
"The refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing after attempting the perilous sea journey from West Africa towards Europe, highlighting the continued human cost of these dangerous routes," UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva.
UNHCR noted that the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands remains one of the world's deadliest migration corridors due to the vast distances, unpredictable weather, overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, and limited opportunities for timely rescue. The agency renewed calls for stronger international cooperation to save lives and expand safe migration pathways.
So far this year, UNHCR has recorded 17 rescue and disembarkation operations in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott, with 2,147 refugees and migrants brought safely ashore.
