A tragic incident involving migrants trying to reach Spain from West Africa may have cost the lives of 50 people, including 44 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders.
The group reported Thursday that the boat, which left Mauritania on January 2, was carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from the boat on Wednesday.
The migrants were part of a larger wave attempting to make the perilous journey across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands.
Walking Borders, based in Madrid and Navarra, revealed that the boat had been missing for days before the alarm was raised.
Six days ago, the group informed authorities in all affected countries of the boat’s disappearance.
The non-governmental organization Alarm Phone, which helps migrants lost at sea, also contacted the Spanish maritime rescue services on January 12, but they reportedly had no information about the boat.
Walking Borders has recorded a record number of deaths in 2024, with 10,457 migrants – around 30 a day – dying as they try to reach Spain, mainly along the Atlantic route from African countries from the West like Mauritania and Senegal.
The Canary Islands, a key destination for many migrants, have become a major site on this deadly migratory route.
Helena Maleno, CEO of Walking Borders, shared on social media that 44 of the victims were from Pakistan, describing the ordeal as a 13-day journey of suffering and anguish without relief assistance.
The tragedy sparked outrage among local authorities and humanitarian groups.
Fernando Clavijo, the regional leader of the Canary Islands, expressed his deep sadness and called on Spain and Europe to take urgent measures to avoid further loss of life.
“The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa,” Clavijo said on social media platform X, urging international leaders to address the growing humanitarian crisis.
