PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: A boat carrying migrants towards Europe capsized off the coast of Mauritania, leaving at least 49 dead and around 100 missing.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: The passengers were primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.
WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on August 26, approximately 37 miles north of Nouakchott, Mauritania.
IMPACT: The drownings highlight the dangerousness of Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, encouraging migrants to make hazardous journeys in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive.
IN FULL
At least 49 migrants have died and around 100 more are missing after a dugout canoe capsized off the coast of Mauritania while heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands, a key gateway for illegal immigration into Europe. Mauritanian coastguards confirmed that 17 individuals were rescued, and search operations are still underway.
The vessel, which survivors say departed from Gambia six days earlier, was carrying approximately 160 migrants, primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals, when it overturned off Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital. According to coastguard officials, the boat capsized late Tuesday night after passengers, spotting lights from a nearby coastal town, moved to one side, causing the vessel to destabilize and flip.
The incident occurred along the increasingly trafficked and notoriously deadly Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands. This route has become one of the most popular and dangerous paths to Europe. More than half of migrant deaths worldwide result from drowning during illegal sea crossings, with the Canary Islands route accounting for a significant portion of those fatalities.
This incident highlights the threat to life posed by Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, with the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive, encouraging many migrants to embark on hazardous journeys.
Notably, the West African migration route to the Canary Islands has seen a dramatic rise recently. In 2024, illegal immigration along this route surged by 541 percent over a two-month period, overwhelming local Spanish authorities.
Image by Sebastián Losada.
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