At least 300 Senegalese migrants missing at sea

An official with Walking Borders said Sunday that three boats carrying more than 300 irregular migrants have gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean.

Helena Maleno, the migrant aid group’s spokeswoman, said the boats left 15 days ago from Senegal for Spain’s Canary Islands.

“There were around 200 irregular migrants on one of the boats, around 65 on the second boat and 60 on the third, which reportedly departed from the village of Kafountine in southern Senegal,”, added Ms. Maleno.

She noted that the families of the migrants are concerned about their wellbeing.

Officials suggest that irregular migration from North Africa’s coasts to the Canary Islands has been one of the most used routes in recent years, with the flow being higher especially in summer.

According to recent figures from the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 559 irregular migrants died while trying to reach the Canary Islands in 2022, including 22 children.

However, Walking Borders’ report insists that the number of irregular migrants who lost their lives on the route last year was 1,784.