MAURITANIA COAST — A night meant for relief turned into tragedy when a migrant boat capsized off Mauritania’s coast, leaving at least 69 dead, officials confirmed Friday—a grim recalibration from initial estimates of 49 fatalities.
The vessel, which embarked from Gambia about a week earlier, carried an estimated 160 migrants—predominantly from Senegal and Gambia—seeking passage toward Europe, possibly the Canary Islands.
The capsizing occurred late Tuesday near Mheijrat, roughly 80 kilometers north of Nouakchott, when frightened passengers spotted the distant glow of coastal lights and surged to one side, causing the boat to flip.
Rescue efforts rescued only 17 survivors, while dozens of bodies washed ashore. Nearly 100 people remain unaccounted for, a stark reminder of the perilous West African migration route.
These dangerous crossings are all too common. The NGO Caminando Fronteras reported at least 10,457 migrants died attempting to reach Spain by sea in 2024 alone.
In an effort to stem irregular migration, Mauritania struck a €210 million agreement with the EU in recent years, tightening borders and enforcing expulsions—a move critics argue lacks humane protections for migrants.
This latest calamity follows earlier disasters off Mauritania’s shores, underscoring a relentless and tragic cycle. Last July saw a strikingly similar incident, and in September 2024, another boatwreck off Senegal added to the mounting death tolls .
As the Atlantic’s darkness closes in nightly on the hopes of those fleeing hardship, the question lingers: how many more will perish before safer avenues are secured?
