Mauritanian’s found dead in boat off Brazil coast
An adrift boat carrying the bodies of African migrants from Mauritania and Mali has been found in Brazilian waters, according to The Associated Press.
The vessel, which departed Mauritania after 17th January was found in the Atlantic Ocean by fishermen in northern Brazil on 13th April.
Although Brazil’s Federal police have recovered nine of the 25 bodies, they revealed that there may be other nationalities among the deceased as they continue to work to identify the bodies and their cause of death.
The bodies were found in a state of advanced decomposition which creates further challenges in the identification process.
Regardless of the passenger’s nationalities, authorities were able to determine that Brazil was not their intended destination as the canoe-shaped boat shared similar characteristics to Mauritanian fishing vessels – which are frequently used by West African migrants to venture to Spain’s Canary Islands.
READ: Migrants arrive at the Canary Islands in record numbers
In 2021, the Associated Press revealed that at least seven northwest African boats, all carrying corpses, were found in the Caribbean and Brazil.
“The route from Mauritania to the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest and most dangerous you can take,” Yvan Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs stated.
This year, over 13,000 migrants have managed to reach the Canary Islands but number of deaths or disappearances is believed to be severely undercounted as of the 6th March, 191 migrants were officially reported from January – March 2024.
2023’s statistics show that at least 18 migrants died or disappeared every day, which totaled 6,618 people, including 384 children. The fatality figures of 2023 were almost triple that of 2022, reported The Guardian.
Despite the possibility of death, migrants continue to risk their lives in hopes of more peaceful and prosperous opportunities in Europe, crossing parts of the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea. Many who board the old fishing vessels or dinghies are fleeing civil unrest or other repercussions of their country’s economic crisis.
The EU continues to strike deals with African governments in attempts to curb irregular migration, despite the criticisms and concerns from human rights organisations.
AP/Euronews/The Guardian
