In Senegal, families paid tribute on Monday to their loved ones lost at sea while trying to reach Europe, on the occasion of the International Day of Missing Persons. Between the search for answers and the inability to grieve, they are demanding more support from the authorities.
Published on: 01/09/2026 - 11:01
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“They are no longer here. Their absence weighs heavily, every minute, in our lives.” On a sign posted in Dakar, these words summarize a wait that has sometimes lasted for almost twenty years. Another lines up dozens of faces of young men under the same title: “Young people leaving for Spain”.
On the occasion of the International Day of Missing Persons, Senegalese families gathered on Monday August 31 to pay tribute to their loved ones missing at sea while trying to reach Europe and to demand more support from the authorities.
“I have two brothers who disappeared: one in 2006 – we have no news of him –, the other in 2024 – we do not know where he is either,” testifies Ibrahima Diop, interviewed by France 24. “If they had died and we at least had their bodies, we would know where they are buried and we could mourn. But when a person disappears without leaving any news, it is psychologically very difficult.”
See alsoSenegal: migrants, ghosts of the Atlantic
“Extreme suffering”
Associations are mobilizing to preserve the memory of the missing while highlighting the distress of families faced with this endless wait. For its part, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supports them to enable them to obtain a declaration of absence or disappearance. “We directly support families through an administrative and legal support program,” explains Bettina Bauer, ICRC coordinator.
See alsoSenegal: the “invisible mourning” of the children of migrants missing at sea
“We also support families through their associations. It is very important to follow all of the needs of the families affected by the disappearance, because they face extreme suffering. Disappearance does not allow closure or mourning.”
The crossing between the West African coast and the Canary Islands remains one of the deadliest migratory routes to Europe. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 3,000 people have disappeared there in recent years. A figure that NGOs believe is largely underestimated.
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