At least 70 people have drowned off the coast of Mauritania, in northwest Africa, and more than 60 others are missing after a boat capsized. The capsizing occurred on Wednesday, the 27th of August, and it was one of the worst this year in a region where such shipwrecks have become common. Sixteen people were rescued, five of them from Gambia.
It has been stated that based on the number of survivors and the vessel’s estimated passenger count, it is believed that over 100 people may have perished in the incident. This situation is not a new thing happening; if not, thousands of Africans risk their lives traveling on small boats on daily bases. They take dangerous and illegal routes to Europe, which leads to brave storm seas and therefore a significant risk of capsizing.
It is relevant to note that the most deadly way is the Atlantic route, which follows the West African coast up past Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Western Sahara, aiming for the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain.
Also, for most Gambians and Senegalese, it is nearly impossible to arrive in Europe legally; this is due to the fact that visas are extremely expensive and rarely granted, especially to people with low incomes.
Additionally, there are other several risk, a lot of West and Central African migrants have been arrested, tortured, raped, robbed, desert dumped and subjected to racist treatment. According to Caminando Fronteras (spanish human rights nonprofit organization) by June of 2025, at least 1,865 people had died trying to get to Spain by sea, and during all 2024, about 10,500 people died, among them 1,538 children. With these statistics, it has been argued that one in five people who try to reach the Canary Islands die during the journey. However, the death tolls are believed to be far higher due to the clandestine nature of such migration.
Source: Maclean, R. (2025, August 29). More than 130 people are feared dead in the West Africa boat tragedy. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/world/africa/boat-capsize-mauritania-gambia-senegal.html