At least 21 people died after a migrant boat capsized off Kébémer in northwestern Senegal, the country’s Interior Ministry said on Sunday, November 8. One survivor had been found, and search and rescue operations were underway.
The ministry said the pirogue ran into difficulty off the coast. It did not provide further details about the people on board or the circumstances of the capsizing in the statement described by Euronews.
Senegal’s interior and public security minister offered condolences to the victims’ families on behalf of the president and government. The government also reaffirmed its determination to combat people-smuggling networks and said it would work with neighbouring countries to address the issue.
Atlantic crossings remain a dangerous route
The International Organization for Migration describes the Atlantic route as a key path used by West African migrants travelling to Europe. The agency has said tighter controls at traditional departure points in Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania have led some people to leave from farther south, including The Gambia.
According to the IOM, alternative departure points can add up to 750 kilometres to a crossing, with some journeys extending to about 2,200 kilometres. Longer time at sea and departures from more remote, less monitored coastlines increase exposure to shipwreck, dehydration and disappearance, the organization has said.
Clayton Ward