Senegalese Navy Intercepts Boats Carrying Over 400 Undocumented Immigrants

The Senegalese Navy successfully intercepted two boats carrying more than 400 undocumented immigrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands in Spain, according to the Navy’s press service.

A total of 421 undocumented immigrants, including 20 children, were on board the two canoes. However, details regarding the operation, including the location of the interception and the nationality of the migrants, were not disclosed.

This recent interception occurred just a day after a tragic incident in which a boat carrying 200 migrants sank approximately 4 kilometers off the Senegalese coast while en route to the Canary Islands. So far, six bodies have been recovered, and search efforts are ongoing to locate the missing individuals.

Since August, the Senegalese authorities have been working closely with the army to patrol areas where canoes loaded with undocumented immigrants frequently depart. As a result, over 1,000 people suspected of attempting to reach EU territory have been apprehended.

According to recent statistics, more than 22,000 undocumented immigrants have arrived in the Canary Islands from West Africa in the first seven and a half months of this year, significantly surpassing the 9,800 individuals who arrived during the same period in 2023.

By Judicaël ZOHOUN, September 11, 2024