West African countries including Senegal and Gambia are experiencing an exodus of migrants trying to reach Europe. Senegalese authorities say they have stopped boats carrying more than 500 people bound for the Canary Islands this month.
Between May 7 and May 16, the Senegalese navy intercepted four boats carrying a total of 554 people in waters off the capital Dakar and the north-western city of Saint-Louis, according to posts on X.
The latest boat with 116 people on board was reportedly stopped on Thursday (May 16) around 100 kilometers off the coast.
The migrants on board were from Senegal or nearby countries, with at least one of the boats having left from neighboring Gambia, the navy said.
The number reported to have been stopped over an eight-day period this month is more than double the total of 269 who were intercepted from the start of December 2023 to the end of April 2024. In November 2023, there was a peak of 1,000, according to figures published by the force and tallied by AFP.
The news agency said it was unable to confirm that all interceptions of migrants had been reported.
Also read: Canary Islands: At least one dead and 170 migrants rescued
Thousands of Africans fleeing poverty and unemployment try to reach Europe by crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Spain's Canary Islands. The journey involves days of sailing, usually in open wooden fishing boats called pirogues.
Deaths from dehydration and exposure are common – this month a group of 26 people who departed from Guinea died when their boat sank off the coast of Senegal.
Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said his country was experiencing a migration "hemorrhage."
In February, more than 20 dead bodies were recovered from a beach in the Saint-Louis region after a boat carrying migrants had sunk at sea. According to survivors’ testimonies, nearly 300 people were on board when the boat set out.
Senegal has seen a large number of departures in recent months, with people leaving almost daily for the Canaries. Many of the country's youth feel that there is no future for them if they stay at home, and they are increasingly looking to Europe in search of a better life.
Also read: A Senegalese fisherman hanted by migrant boat disaster
Since the start of the year, nearly 16,000 migrants have reached the Spanish islands, an increase of almost 370% compared with the same period in 2023.
With AFP