Authorities in Mauritania have recovered a migrant boat that left Gambia at the end of June. Only 38 survivors were found on board, while at least 143 people are feared dead or missing. The vessel was attempting the perilous journey to the Canary Islands when it was discovered adrift near Nouadhibou on July 18, information from the United Nations Refugee Agency (Acnur).
Initial reports from survivors and relatives indicate that the boat departed from Bafuloto, a town in Gambia, on June 28 with around 200 people on board. By the time Mauritanian authorities located it, the vessel was in critical condition. Its engine no longer worked, it was almost out of fuel and it lacked GPS equipment. The rescue included 34 adult men and two women; two minors were also on board. Most survivors were from Senegal or Gambia. Others came from Guinea-Conakry and Côte d'Ivoire. Two of those rescued, including a Senegalese man and a Gambian traveling with family, died shortly after being saved.
The first public alert about the missing boat appeared on social media on July 11. The vessel is believed to have suffered a mechanical failure about a week after departure, leaving those on board stranded for more than two weeks. As food and water ran out, casualties mounted. Survivors described how people who died were thrown overboard, a grim pattern seen in other incidents on the route.
Two children among the survivors lost their entire families and are recovering in a hospital in Nouadhibou alongside other rescued passengers. The tragedy has prompted calls for urgent action in Gambia. Local activists say such disasters receive limited attention compared with other violent incidents in the country.
Acnur has stressed that the Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands remains one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors, despite ongoing efforts by coastal authorities and humanitarian organizations. Crossings can span roughly 2,200 kilometres, often in poorly equipped open boats. Mechanical failure or inadequate fuel can leave vessels drifting far from help. Missing navigation equipment and shortages of food or water add to the danger.
International Organization for Migration (IOM)-linked figures for the first half of 2026 reflect the scale of the risk: 59 boats failed to reach the Canary Islands, with 168 migrants recorded dead or missing. Over the same period, 3,708 people reached the islands by boat, compared with 11,321 in the first half of 2025, a decline of 67%. The number of boats reaching the islands fell from 186 to 49, or 74%. These figures cover recorded arrivals and known or reported incidents, not every attempted departure.
By July 15, around 4,400 people had reached the Canary Islands via irregular maritime routes in 2026, according to figures cited in the original reporting. That was 61% fewer than in the corresponding period of 2025. The decline has been attributed largely to intensified controls in Mauritania and Senegal, which have shifted departure points farther south to Gambia and, to a lesser extent, Guinea-Conakry. Longer routes keep people at sea for more time and raise their exposure to breakdowns, dehydration and death.
Recorded deaths and disappearances on the Atlantic route fell only slightly, from 1,215 in 2024 to 1,172 in 2025, while arrivals to the Canary Islands dropped by 62% over that period. The figures show a continuing toll despite fewer successful arrivals. The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project treats its totals as minimum estimates. The organization has warned that “the true death toll is likely to be higher because many shipwrecks go unreported.”
Within Gambia, traditional departure points such as Jinak and Tandji have been joined by new locations along the Gambia River. Gundjur and Banjul remain in use as organizers seek to evade coastal patrols. The boat from Bafuloto was one of three intercepted by Mauritanian coast guards in the same week. Another vessel, also from Gambia, was rescued with 169 people on board. A third was found near Nouadhibou with 179 migrants, mostly from Senegal. Others came from Gambia, Ghana and Mali.
The shift in departure points and use of more remote launch sites reflect tighter controls in some countries and persistent demand for migration opportunities. Increased patrols in Morocco and Mauritania have been associated with longer routes. Senegal has seen the same pattern, compounding the risks of mechanical failure and dehydration, as well as the chance of being lost at sea. The lack of safe and legal alternatives adds to the dangers faced by people attempting the crossing.
The Canary Islands have long been a basic entry point for migrants from West Africa seeking to reach Europe. The journey can take several days in open boats. Strong currents and unpredictable weather add to the danger, while rescue capacity remains limited. IOM route figures draw on information from field offices and nongovernmental organizations, as well as media reports. The figures are understood to undercount deaths when shipwrecks go unreported. International organizations continue to call for coordinated action to address the causes of migration and improve safety for people undertaking these journeys.
