44 Pakistanis among 50 migrants drown in tragic boat disaster en route to Spain, says NGO
- 4 hours ago
A tragic incident involving migrants attempting to reach Spain from West Africa may have claimed the lives of up to 50 people, including 44 Pakistanis, according to the migrant rights group Walking Borders.
The group reported on Thursday that the boat, which departed from Mauritania on January 2, carried 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from the boat on Wednesday.
The migrants were part of a larger wave attempting to make the perilous journey across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands.
Walking Borders, based in Madrid and Navarra, revealed that the boat had gone missing for days before the alarm was raised.
Six days ago, the group had informed authorities in all involved countries about the boat’s disappearance.
Forty-four of those presumed to have drowned were from Pakistan, Walking Borders CEO Helena Maleno said on X.
"They spent 13 days of anguish on the crossing without anyone coming to rescue them," she said.
Asked about what warnings it had received from NGOs regarding a missing boat, Spain's maritime rescue service said it had learned on Jan. 10 about a vessel that had left Nouakchott in Mauritania and was experiencing problems but it could not confirm if it was the same boat.
The service said it had carried out air searches without success and had warned nearby ships.
Walking Borders said it had alerted authorities from all countries involved six days ago about the missing boat. Alarm Phone, an NGO that provides an emergency phone line for migrants lost at sea, also said it had alerted Spain's maritime rescue service on Jan. 12 about a boat in distress.
A record 10,457 migrants, or 30 people a day, died trying to reach Spain in 2024, most while attempting to cross the Atlantic route from West African countries such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary islands, according to Walking Borders.
Citing the Walking Borders' post on X, the Canary Islands' regional leader Fernando Clavijo expressed his sorrow for the victims of the latest wreck and urged Spain and Europe to act to prevent further tragedies.
"The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa," Clavijo said on X. "They cannot continue to turn their backs on this humanitarian drama."
Agencies
