The Senegalese Navy announced on Saturday that they had intercepted two wooden boats containing 272 migrants approximately 100 km (60 miles) off the coast of Dakar, the capital city.
Among the passengers were 16 women and seven children, who were transported back to a navy base in Dakar, as reported in an online post.
A photo shared by the navy displayed a fishing vessel overloaded with individuals, lacking proper shelter, navigating the open ocean.
Every year, thousands of migrants undertake dangerous journeys across hundreds of miles of ocean from Africa to Europe in search of better living conditions. The summer season is particularly active for these crossings.
According to the International Organization for Migration, in 2022 alone, 559 people lost their lives trying to reach the Canary Islands. Additionally, within the first six months of this year, 126 people went missing or perished while attempting the same route, resulting in 15 shipwrecks.
Earlier in August, a migrant boat carrying 101 individuals from Senegal drifted without fuel in the ocean for several weeks. Only 37 people survived this harrowing experience.
Reported by Alessandra Prentice; Edited by Giles Elgood
Credit: The Star : News Feed
