At least 75 migrants from West Africa were rescued off the coast of Mauritania after their boat suffered an engine failure earlier this month. Their ship was already at risk of sinking when they sent out a distress call.
Mauritania's ministry of fisheries told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency that at least 75 West Africans were onboard a small motorised boat which was "on the verge of sinking," when security forces intervened and saved the migrants.
The boat had reportedly departed from Kamsar, a Guinean port city, on July 15, in the apparent hope of reaching Spain's Canary Islands, located over 2,000 kilometers to the north.
The Mauritanian ministry of fisheries said that its engine broke down in the open seas, resulting in the "passengers being carried away by the current for two days before issuing a distress call."
A nearby ship intervened according to reports on AFP to save everyone's lives. They handed the passengers over to the Mauritanian coastguard later on.
The group of at least 75 migrants remained in Mauritania on Sunday (July 27).
Guinean sources meanwhile said that the actual number of passengers onboard the ill-fated vessel was over 100 — including passengers from Guinea, Senegal and Gambia traveling on the boat at the time of it running into trouble.
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Most dangerous migrant sea route
Tens of thousands of migrants continue to try to reach the European Union by boat, with many embarking on sea journeys from North and West Africa in the hope of reaching Spain.
Thousands, however, have died during those attempts in recent years — especially on the popular route to the Spanish archipelago the Canary Islands, situated in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, well over 10,000 people died at sea trying to reach Spain in 2024. Estimates from other agencies, including the UN Migration Agency IOM's Missing Migrants project are much lower, but they rely on only counting bodies found, or verified reports of those missing. They admit that many people will disappear and die without anyone ever knowing they had set to sea in the first place.
Caminando Fronteras' estimate represents nearly a quarter of the 46,800 African migrants who successfully arrived in the Canary Islands in 2024, according to official figures.
In recent months, Mauritania has become the single biggest departure point of migrants leaving from West Africa.
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with AFP