At least 34 people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Senegal as it headed towards Spain's Canary Islands, the Senegalese Press Agency reported, citing an official source.
The interior ministry said one person had been rescued, while the number of those still missing had yet to be established. The small wooden boat capsized between the capital, Dakar, and the northern city of Saint-Louis.
Saliou Diouf, founder of the Senegalese migrant aid group Boza Fii, told AFP that all the bodies recovered so far were Senegalese. He said the nationalities of the other people on board had yet to be determined as search operations continued.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his condolences to the victims' families and urged Senegalese nationals not to risk their lives on the dangerous sea crossings. In a statement posted on X, he pledged to intensify efforts to dismantle the networks organising the journeys. "We will relentlessly continue the fight against those who organise these crossings and the work that gives our young people reasons to hope here," he said.
The tragedy comes amid renewed concern over the dangers facing migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea. Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026, the highest toll among the routes it monitors. The group estimates that about 21 people died for every 100 who reached the islands during that period.
Senegalese authorities said they intercepted another boat on Friday carrying 142 migrants attempting to reach Spain. Police said those on board included 23 women, two babies and two other children, and that the group comprised nationals of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared on the Spanish island of El Hierro on Saturday following a surge in migrant arrivals. According to local authorities, more than 3,300 people have reached the island in about 30 boats since the beginning of November.
The Canary Islands have become a major entry point into Europe for migrants and refugees making the dangerous Atlantic crossing from West Africa. The route has grown in prominence amid tighter controls and increased cooperation between European countries and North African states, which may have diverted some journeys away from the central Mediterranean.
According to the International Organization for Migration, limited employment opportunities, family pressures and established migration networks are among the factors driving people to leave Senegal. For many young people, the prospect of finding work and earning more abroad remains a powerful incentive despite the risks of crossing the Atlantic in overcrowded boats. Nearly one in four young people in Senegal was unemployed in the second quarter of 2026, according to the country's statistics agency, a figure that underlines the challenge facing President Faye's government as it seeks to create jobs for a predominantly young population that overwhelmingly backed him in the 2024 elections.
In a statement on Sunday, Senegal's interior ministry said it would continue its efforts to combat people-smuggling networks, including by strengthening cooperation with neighbouring countries.
