At least 39 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal while attempting to reach Spain's Canary Islands, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), which cited an official source.
uncertain
which → die → source
Senegal's interior ministry said one person had been rescued, but the number of people still missing was not yet known.
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number → say → people
Search operations were continuing after the small wooden vessel overturned between Dakar, the capital, and the northern city of Saint-Louis.
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vessel → continue → Louis
Saliou Diouf, founder of Senegalese migrant aid group Boza Fii, told news agency AFP that all the bodies recovered so far were those of Senegalese nationals.
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bodies → tell → nationals
The identities and nationalities of the remaining passengers were yet to be established.
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identities → remain → passengers
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences to the families of those who died and appealed to Senegalese citizens not to risk their lives on dangerous sea journeys.
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who → express → journeys
In a statement posted on X, he promised to step up action against the networks arranging these crossings.
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he → post → crossings
"We will relentlessly continue the fight against those who organise these crossings and the work that gives our young people reasons to hope here," he said.
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he → continue → reasons
Deadly Atlantic route to the Canary Islands
The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe across the Atlantic.
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tragedy → draw → Atlantic
Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026.
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group → record → January
This was the highest death toll among the migration routes monitored by the organisation.
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This → monitor → organisation
Walking Borders estimated that around 21 people died for every 100 who successfully reached the Canary Islands during the period.
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who → estimate → period
The route has become increasingly prominent amid tighter border controls and greater cooperation between European countries and North African states.
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route → become → countries
These measures may have pushed some migrants away from the central Mediterranean route and towards the Atlantic crossing.
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measures → push → crossing
Senegalese authorities said they had intercepted another boat on Friday, preventing 142 migrants from making the journey to Spain.
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they → say → Spain
The group included 23 women, two babies and two other children.
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group → include → women
Police said the passengers were from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.
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passengers → say → Senegal
El Hierro declares emergency amid migrant arrivals
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Hierro → declare → arrivals
The dangers of the Atlantic route have also coincided with a sharp rise in arrivals on Spain's Canary Islands.
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dangers → coincide → Islands
Authorities on the Spanish island of El Hierro declared a state of emergency on Saturday after more than 3,300 migrants arrived in around 30 boats since the beginning of November.
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migrants → declare → November
El Hierro is one of the main entry points into Europe for migrants travelling by sea from West Africa.
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Hierro → travel → Africa
Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands regional government, described the situation as "absolutely unsustainable," according to Reuters.
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Clavijo → describe → Reuters
Unemployment drives migration
Limited job opportunities, family pressures and established migration networks are among the reasons prompting people to leave Senegal, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
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opportunities → drive → Migration
For many young people, the possibility of finding employment and earning more in Europe remains a strong incentive, despite the risk of undertaking the dangerous journey in overcrowded boats.
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possibility → find → boats
Nearly one in four young people in Senegal was unemployed in the second quarter of 2026, according to the country's statistics agency.
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people → accord → agency
The figures underline the employment challenge facing President Faye's government.
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figures → underline → government
He came to power in 2024 with overwhelming support from a predominantly young electorate and has faced pressure to create opportunities for them.
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He → come → them
In a statement on Sunday, Senegal's Interior Ministry said it would continue its efforts to dismantle people-smuggling networks, including through stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries.
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it → say → countries
The Aporia
