Only 38 people survived after one vessel that departed from the coastal village of Bafuloto in Gambia spent nearly 25 days stranded in the Atlantic
At least 144 migrants are dead or missing following separate maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported, saying it is “extremely saddened” by the events.
Three rescue and disembarkation operations conducted between July 14 and 18 brought 387 people safely ashore in the northwestern city of Nouadhibou, UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. The survivors came from several countries, but the agency did not disclose their nationalities.
“This is a stark reminder that, despite sustained efforts by coastal authorities and humanitarian partners to save lives, the Atlantic route from West Africa towards the Canary Islands remains one of the world’s deadliest mixed movement corridors,” Saltmarsh said.
The heaviest toll reported involved a boat that departed from the coastal village of Bafuloto in Gambia, bound for Spain. Only 38 people survived after spending nearly 25 days stranded in the Atlantic, while 144 passengers were reported dead or missing.
Two children who lost all their relatives during the journey were among those rescued on July 18 and were hospitalized, UNHCR said. Another passenger died following the arrival of a separate boat on July 14.
Mauritania has become a major transit and departure point for people attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands in search of a better life in Europe. The route involves long distances, unpredictable weather and overcrowded vessels that are often unfit for sea travel, according to the UN.
Arrivals in the Canary Islands have fallen by 61% compared with 2025, with around 4,400 recorded as of July 15. However, UNHCR warned that deaths and disappearances remain high and that some vessels vanish without being documented.
Mauritanian authorities have recorded 17 disembarkations in Nouadhibou and the capital, Nouakchott, so far this year, rescuing 2,147 people, according to the agency. In August 2025, at least 49 people died and nearly 100 went missing when another migrant boat capsized off the country’s coast.
