The authorities in Mauritania have reported the rescue of nearly 150 migrants who were travelling in a boat located off its coast, after having departed from Gambian territory, headed for Europe via the Canary Islands.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime and Port Infrastructure of Mauritania, which issued a statement on social media, the boat was detected north of the capital, Nouakchott. The department specified that there were 143 migrants on board, including nine minors.
The statement detailed that 88 Gambians, 44 Senegalese, eight Sierra Leoneans, one Guinean, one Malian, and one Nigerian were traveling in the boat. “The Mauritanian Coast Guard treated all migrants in line with applicable legal and humanitarian procedures,” it concluded.
Mauritania has consolidated itself as one of the main departure points on the Atlantic route, characterised by its strong currents and considered one of the most dangerous routes to Europe. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of crossings, with the Canary Islands as the predominant destination.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) indicated on its website that around 6,600 people have lost their lives or are missing on this route since 2014, a figure only surpassed by that of the Sahara Desert, where more than 7,000 deaths and disappearances have been documented.
