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At least 39 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), which cited an official source. Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026. Walking Borders estimated that around 21 people died for every 100 who successfully reached the Canary Islands during the period. Senegalese authorities said they had intercepted another boat on Friday, preventing 142 migrants from making the journey to Spain. The group included 23 women, two babies and two other children. Authorities on the Spanish island of El Hierro declared a state of emergency on Saturday after more than 3,300 migrants arrived in around 30 boats since the beginning of November.
Senegal’s interior ministry said one person had been rescued, but the number of people still missing was not yet known. Saliou Diouf, founder of Senegalese migrant aid group Boza Fii, told news agency AFP that all the bodies recovered so far were those of Senegalese nationals. “We will relentlessly continue the fight against those who organise these crossings and the work that gives our young people reasons to hope here,” he said. Police said the passengers were from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria. Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands regional government, described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable,” according to Reuters.
Search operations were continuing after the small wooden vessel overturned between Dakar, the capital, and the northern city of Saint-Louis. The identities and nationalities of the remaining passengers were yet to be established. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences to the families of those who died and appealed to Senegalese citizens not to risk their lives on dangerous sea journeys. In a statement posted on X, he promised to step up action against the networks arranging these crossings. The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe across the Atlantic. This was the highest death toll among the migration routes monitored by the organisation. The route has become increasingly prominent amid tighter border controls and greater cooperation between European countries and North African states. These measures may have pushed some migrants away from the central Mediterranean route and towards the Atlantic crossing. The dangers of the Atlantic route have also coincided with a sharp rise in arrivals on Spain’s Canary Islands. The number of arrivals is equivalent to almost a third of the island’s population. El Hierro is one of the main entry points into Europe for migrants travelling by sea from West Africa.
Nearly one in four young people in Senegal was unemployed in the second quarter of 2026, according to the country’s statistics agency. He came to power in 2024 with overwhelming support from a predominantly young electorate and has faced pressure to create opportunities for them.
Limited job opportunities, family pressures and established migration networks are among the reasons prompting people to leave Senegal, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). For many young people, the possibility of finding employment and earning more in Europe remains a strong incentive, despite the risk of undertaking the dangerous journey in overcrowded boats. The figures underline the employment challenge facing President Faye’s government. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
In a statement on Sunday, Senegal’s Interior Ministry said it would continue its efforts to dismantle people-smuggling networks, including through stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries.