Up to 50 migrants, many of whom were from Pakistan, are feared to have drowned when their boat sank while attempting to reach Spain from West Africa.
This was reported on Thursday by the migrant rights group Walking Borders.
On Wednesday, Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from a boat that had set sail from Mauritania on January 2, with 86 migrants onboard, including 66 from Pakistan.
Helena Maleno, the executive director of Walking Borders, stated that 44 of the missing were likely from Pakistan.
“They endured 13 days of suffering on the crossing, and no one came to rescue them,” she said.
In response to questions about warnings received from non-governmental organizations regarding the missing boat, Spain’s maritime rescue service confirmed they were alerted on January 10 about a vessel that left Nouakchott, Mauritania, and encountered problems. However, they could not confirm whether this was the same boat.
The rescue service said they conducted air searches with no results and alerted neighboring vessels.
Walking Borders mentioned that six days ago, they had warned the authorities of all involved countries about the missing boat. Alarm Phone, a non-governmental organization providing an emergency helpline for migrants lost at sea, also reported the boat’s distress to Spain’s maritime rescue service on January 12.
According to Walking Borders, a record 10,457 migrants died in 2024 trying to reach Spain, with most deaths occurring on the Atlantic route from Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands. This represents an average of 30 deaths per day.
