144 dead or missing after migrant boat drifts for 25 days off Mauritania

At least 144 refugees and migrants are dead or missing after a boat carrying people from The Gambia to Europe drifted for 25 days before being rescued off the coast of Mauritania. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that the vessel, which left Bafuloto, was rescued on July 18 with 38 survivors and numerous bodies. Among the survivors were two children who lost all family members Source: Al Jazeera.

Rescue efforts

Between July 14 and 18, three rescue operations off Mauritania brought 387 people safely ashore Source: Euronews. Another death occurred on a different vessel on July 14. The dead were from sub-Saharan African countries Source: Al Jazeera.

Context

The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands is described by UNHCR as "one of the world's deadliest" due to long distances, overcrowding, and unseaworthy boats Source: Euronews. Mauritania is a major departure point, but arrivals have fallen sharply under an EU-funded crackdown, which has pushed departures to longer, deadlier journeys further down the coast Source: Al Jazeera. UNHCR has recorded 17 rescue operations in Mauritania this year, bringing 2,147 people safely ashore Source: Euronews.