300 Senegalese Migrants missing in search of new home

Approximately 300 Senegalese migrants, including women and children, have been missing for 15 days in an attempt to reach EU territory, according to AP.

When they disappeared, three boats – leaving South Senegal, Kafountine – were heading to Spain’s Canary Islands.

Only last month, a migrant ship leaving Morocco for the Spanish Islands on the same route tragically sunk, with coastguards managing to save only 52 migrants.

The Moroccan tragedy left 39 presumed dead and a pregnant corpse discovered by coast guards 12 hours after being alarmed by the incident due to a failure to coordinate between the Spanish and Moroccan rescue teams over disputing water boundaries.

The first two West-African migrant ships were carrying around 65 and 50 passengers and the third, which left June 27 had 200 people on board, Helena Maleno of Walking Borders told Reuters on July 9. 

“The migrants’ families are worried as they have not heard from their loved ones since the boat left,” Maleno added.

The migrants, all from similar areas in Senegal, set sail for the Spanish Islands, approximately 1700 km from home due to the political unpredictability and increase in violence in the last months.

This migrant route to the Canary Islands is particularly popular, especially in the summer months, whilst many others attempt to get to mainland Spain.

Data collected in 2022 by the U.N’s International Organisation for Migration states last year at least 559 people died crossing the Mediterranean in a desperate attempt to get away from the political unpredictability of the 2024 presidential elections and the rising violent protests in the streets. 

Senegalese migrants are part of a vast migrant movement across the Atlantic which the U.N have labelled as one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.