Senegalese authorities have intercepted a wooden pirogue carrying 112 migrants attempting to make the perilous Atlantic crossing toward Europe, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday. The vessel was stopped off the coast of Saint-Louis in the north of the country before it could enter deeper waters.
The migrants, mostly young men, were taken into custody and later transferred to a local reception center for processing. A ministry spokesperson told Jeune Afrique that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to curb irregular migration, which has surged in recent months as West African nationals seek routes to Spain’s Canary Islands.
The Canary route has become one of the deadliest migration corridors, with hundreds of fatalities recorded annually, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted in a recent update. Local rights groups have urged the government to pair enforcement with long-term economic opportunities to stem departures.
While the EU has increased funding for joint patrols in Senegalese waters, analysts cited by Reuters noted that rising insecurity and limited job prospects across the Sahel continue to fuel migration attempts despite the risks.
