144 Feared Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Tragedies Off Mauritania

July 22, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

At least 144 refugees and migrants are feared dead or missing following a series of maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania last week, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said, describing the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Europe as one of the world's deadliest. The fatalities were reported after several boats attempting the journey towards Europe encountered difficulties at sea, highlighting the continued risks facing people travelling along the route to Spain's Canary Islands.

Between July 14 and July 18, authorities and humanitarian organisations carried out three rescue and disembarkation operations in Nouadhibou, bringing 387 people safely ashore. UNHCR said it participated in all of the operations alongside Mauritanian authorities and partner organisations to assist survivors and identify people in need of international protection.

The deadliest incident involved a boat rescued on July 18 after drifting in the Atlantic for nearly 25 days. The vessel had departed from Bufaloto in The Gambia carrying people attempting to reach Spain, but only 38 survived, while 143 others were reported dead or missing. Among the survivors were two children who lost all of their family members during the voyage. They are receiving treatment in hospital alongside other survivors, according to UNHCR.

A separate rescue operation on July 14 also recorded one death among passengers brought ashore. UNHCR said the incidents illustrate the persistent dangers of the Atlantic migration corridor, where long distances, unpredictable ocean conditions, overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels, and limited access to timely rescue continue to claim lives despite efforts by coastal authorities and humanitarian organisations.

The agency noted that arrivals to Spain's Canary Islands have fallen sharply this year, declining 61 percent from 2025 to about 4,400 people as of July 15. Across the main Mediterranean and Atlantic routes, more than 40,000 people have reached Europe by sea so far this year, compared with 65,407 during the same period in 2025. Despite the decline in arrivals, UNHCR said deaths and disappearances at sea remain at alarming levels, with many boats vanishing far from public attention.

Source: FSX Business News