The Senegalese Navy has recovered a boat carrying at least 30 decomposing bodies off the coast of Senegal. The vessel, identified as a wooden pirogue, was found adrift approximately 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the capital, Dakar. The Navy, responding to a tip-off, brought the boat into port early Monday morning.
A military statement on X (formerly Twitter) confirmed the discovery and detailed the challenges faced by recovery teams. “Recovery, identification, and transfer operations are being made extremely delicate by the advanced state of decomposition of the bodies,” the statement read.
Suspected Migrant Vessel
The grim find underscores the perilous nature of migrant journeys across the Atlantic Ocean, particularly from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands. Authorities suspect the boat was part of a growing number of vessels attempting this treacherous journey, which spans more than 1,500 kilometers (950 miles).
Given the state of the bodies, it is believed that the migrants had been adrift for several days before their boat was discovered by local fishermen. The Navy has launched an investigation to determine the boat’s origin, its intended destination, and the number of people originally on board.
Surge in Migrant Crossings
This discovery comes amid a significant increase in attempts by West African migrants to reach Europe via the Canary Islands. Despite the extreme dangers posed by this route, many are driven by unemployment, poverty, and conflict in their home countries. Senegalese fishermen, who once made a living from the sea, have found their livelihoods threatened by the presence of foreign trawlers, forcing some to turn to either migration or smuggling.
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands has become increasingly popular among migrants because it requires a single, albeit hazardous, ocean crossing rather than the multi-stage journey across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. According to Frontex, the European border agency, the Atlantic route saw a 161% increase in migrant crossings in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Senegal’s Response to the Migration Crisis
In response to the rising number of migrant-related deaths, the Senegalese Government announced a 10-year plan in August aimed at curbing illegal migration. This initiative comes as the authorities have intercepted hundreds of migrants attempting to leave Senegal’s shores in recent weeks.
Despite these efforts, the lure of a better life in Europe continues to drive young men from West Africa to embark on these perilous journeys. The UN reported that around 40,000 migrants reached the Canary Islands last year, highlighting the scale of the migration crisis in the region.
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