39 people dead as migrant boat sinks off Gambia’s coast

A migrant boat on the way to Europe had capsized off Gambia’s coast on 31st December, killing 39 people. On January 1st, the death toll given by Gambia’s defence ministry was seven, and as of January 7th, an estimated 112 people have been rescued, Reuters reported on January 8th.

The route that passes through the Canary Islands to Spain is one of the world’s deadliest routes for migrants, as labelled by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) because of the long distances involved, the poor condition of the vessels, and the unpredictable dangers of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is a route often used by West Africans to cross into Europe. The passengers in the boat included people from Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone. Among the 39 migrants dead, 24 were found near Gambia’s coast, and 15 of them were found in Senegalese waters.

Migrants from Africa often flee to Europe in search of better living conditions and opportunities, driven by poverty, conflict, and desperation back in their home countries. A survivor named Kajali Camara shared his experience, “My friends in Europe inspired me to take the ‘back way’”, which is the irregular routes via sea in small boats. He added, “They’re supporting their families back home, and I wanted a better life too.”

The number of migrants trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean to get to European countries is no small fleet. In November 2025, the Mauritanian coast guard rescued about 227 migrants who were stranded at sea trying to reach Europe. Amongst them were women and children, and citizens of Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.

Mauritania, along with Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, has collaborated to reduce illegal migration to Europe through the Atlantic Ocean, signing agreements on migration with the European Union. According to the EU’s border agency Frontex, migration along the West African Atlantic Route (WAAR) had dropped 60% because of the efforts of countries from where migrants depart.

In 2025, Gambia’s coast saw a significant number of departures of migrants, with 4000 people leaving for Europe between March and June alone, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The route that ends in the Canary Islands is most frequently departed from Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal.

Due to border patrols that have increased in northern Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia, which are the traditional Mediterranean routes, migrants opt for the longer and more dangerous Atlantic route from Northwest Africa to the Canary Islands instead to avoid being intercepted.

The Canary Islands route gained popularity since the pandemic, with 10,457 migrants dead at sea trying to reach Spain in 2024, a 58% increase from 2023, according to Spanish migration rights group Caminando Fronteras. 

The IOM admits to registering fewer deaths than the numbers given by other organisations, saying that its figures are an estimate of the true death toll, while agreeing that the Canary Islands route is the deadliest migrant voyage.

Reuters, DW News, The Gambia Journal, EuroNews, Maghrebi.org