According to the army on Thursday, the Senegalese navy has stopped a boat carrying about 70 migrants who were attempting to cross the treacherous Atlantic Ocean to reach Spain. This is the third recorded crossing this week as attempts from West Africa increase as the summer months get warmer.
The boat was seized late on Wednesday night near the mouth of the Senegal River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean from northern Senegal. The army reported on Twitter that all 71 passengers, including two women, had been turned over to the police.
One of the most dangerous migration routes in the world is from the Atlantic to the Canary Islands, which is primarily taken by sub-Saharan African migrants hoping to reach Spain. Its busiest season is in the summer.
The navy reported that on Monday, it had stopped another boat carrying 35 individuals who were attempting the passage.
Six fatalities were confirmed on Wednesday by the state news agency following the capsize of a boat with around 60 people aboard near the northern city of Saint Louis at the mouth of the Senegal River.
Many requests for comments from the army regarding the occurrences received no response.
The officials stated that 260 Senegalese nationals were saved in Moroccan waters between June 28 and July 9 and refuted rumors that boats transporting at least 300 migrants from Senegal to Spain had vanished.
Despite the current increase, fewer illegal immigrants have entered the Canary Islands overall this year than in 2022.
According to the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, arrivals from the ports of West Africa totaled 7,213 persons between January and June 2023, an 18% decrease over the same time last year (IOM).
According to the IOM, 126 people have perished or vanished on the same trip in the first half of this year, with 15 shipwrecks being reported, compared to at least 559 individuals who perished trying to reach the Canary Islands in 2022.
