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At least 34 people died after the sinking of a boat carrying migrants off the coast of Senegal, reports the Senegalese press agency (APS), citing an official source.
The Interior Ministry said one person had been rescued, but it was not yet clear how many people were still missing.
The small wooden boat capsized between the capital, Dakar, and the northern city of Saint-Louis, while en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The Spanish migrant rights association Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026, the highest death toll among the routes it monitors.
Saliou Diouf, founder of the Senegalese humanitarian organization Boza Fii, told AFP that all the bodies found so far were Senegalese. The nationality of the other people on board remained to be determined, as search operations continued.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye offered his condolences to the families of the victims and urged Senegalese nationals not to risk their lives during these dangerous sea crossings.
In a statement published on X, he pledged to intensify his efforts to dismantle the networks organizing these trips.
“We will tirelessly continue the fight against those who organize these clandestine crossings and the work which gives our young people reasons for hope here,” he declared.
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The tragedy comes amid renewed concerns about the dangers faced by migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.
Walking Borders estimates that around 21 out of 100 people who reached the Canary Islands died during the period it monitored.
Senegalese authorities said they intercepted another boat on Friday carrying 142 migrants trying to reach Spain.
Among those on board were 23 women, two babies and two other children. Police said the group was made up of nationals from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.
Furthermore, a state of emergency was declared on Saturday on the Spanish island of El Hierro following a sharp increase in migrant arrivals.
More than 3,300 people have reached the island aboard around thirty boats since the beginning of November, according to local authorities.
This represents almost a third of the population of the island, one of the main entry points into Europe for migrants arriving from West Africa.
Fernando Clavijo, president of the regional government of the Canary Islands, described the situation as “absolutely untenable”, reports the Reuters news agency.
This route has gained importance thanks to tightened controls and increased cooperation between European countries and North African states, which may have diverted some voyages from the central Mediterranean.
Lack of job prospects, family pressures and established migration networks are among the factors pushing people to leave Senegal, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
For many young people, the prospect of finding work and earning more abroad remains a powerful motivation, despite the risks associated with crossing the Atlantic in overcrowded boats.
In the second quarter of 2026, nearly one in four young Senegalese people were unemployed, according to the country's statistical agency.
The figure highlights the challenge facing President Faye's government as it seeks to create jobs for a predominantly young population who voted overwhelmingly for him in the 2024 elections.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Senegalese Interior Ministry said it would continue its efforts to combat smuggling networks, in particular by strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries.
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We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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