- The death toll from the capsize off Senegal of a boat carrying migrants rose to 39 following the discovery of more bodies on Monday, the country's emergency services said.
- Rescue teams are searching along a 25km (15-mile) stretch of coastline, but operations are complicated by difficult access and strong ocean currents pushing bodies further south.
- Authorities say 24 of the 39 victims have been identified and returned to their families, while 11 others are still awaiting identification.
- All bodies recovered by Sunday evening were Senegalese, according to Saliou Diouf, founder of Senegalese migrant aid group Boza Fii.
- 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 death toll from a migrant boat capsizing off Senegal has tragically risen to 39, with rescue teams continuing their search along a 25km coastline after the vessel overturned near Kébémer, north of Dakar. The boat was en route to Spain's Canary Islands when it capsized on Sunday.
The Ministry of Interior initially reported 21 fatalities as rescuers searched for survivors, but the toll has since increased. Only one passenger was rescued alive, and 24 of the 39 victims have been identified, with their bodies returned to families. Eleven others remain unidentified.3
This incident highlights the perilous migration routes taken by thousands of young Senegalese seeking better economic opportunities. Many travel on uncovered wooden canoes for approximately 1,300 kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean. The country is grappling with high unemployment rates, with nearly one in four young people unemployed as of the second quarter of 2026.4
Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences and pledged to combat the networks behind these dangerous crossings. “Smugglers and traffickers charged them for a dangerous journey on boats that were not fit for the sea,” stated Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration. The situation has been described as “absolutely unsustainable” by Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands regional government.
Rescue operations have faced challenges due to strong ocean currents, complicating efforts to recover bodies.
“Authorities say 24 of the 39 victims have been identified and returned to their families, while 11 others await identification. Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders separately recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026, the highest toll among monitored routes.”
