Over 140 Migrants Dead or Missing off Mauritania Coast

At least 144 migrants are dead or missing following several maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania between July 14 and 18, 2026. The most severe tragedy involved a vessel departing from Bafuloto, The Gambia, bound for the Canary Islands. The boat ran out of fuel and drifted for 25 days, leaving only 38 survivors from a total of 160 passengers. Two of these survivors are children who lost their entire families during the journey.

In other operations during the same window, Mauritanian authorities rescued 179 people from a boat departing Senegal and 170 people from a third vessel, where one death was recorded. Rescue operations based in Nouadhibou brought a total of 387 people safely ashore.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees described the Atlantic route from West Africa to Spain as one of the world's deadliest mixed movement corridors. The agency cited unseaworthy, overcrowded boats, long distances, and unpredictable ocean conditions as primary risks. While arrivals in the Canary Islands have decreased by approximately 60% to 61% this year due to stricter controls and European Union-funded crackdowns in West Africa, the agency warned that deaths at sea remain at alarming levels.