The Senegalese navy has intercepted 201 West African migrants attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a dangerous bid to reach Europe, the military announced Wednesday, July 10, amid a surge in migration via the increasingly deadly route to Spain’s Canary Islands. In a coordinated operation by Senegalese marines stationed in Foundiougne, Fatick region, authorities arrested 69 people on land and intercepted 132 others aboard a small wooden boat—known locally as a pirogue—in the Saloum Delta late Tuesday. Among the migrants were women and children of various West African nationalities, according to a statement by Senegal’s Directorate of Public Relations of the Armed Forces (DIRPA). The Saloum Delta has emerged as a key departure hub for illegal migration, as traffickers exploit its remote waterways to launch migrant boats undetected. This comes despite increasing patrols by Senegalese security forces and expanded cooperation with European partners.
The Atlantic Ocean route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands has become the most trafficked—and deadliest—migration pathway from Africa to Europe in recent years. While overall migration to Europe has declined, arrivals in the Canaries surged in 2024, with nearly 47,000 people landing on the archipelago, up from about 40,000 in 2023, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. Migrant advocacy group Walking Borders estimates that thousands have died on this route so far in 2025, though the exact number is unknown due to the absence of data on many departures. Ships often go missing for weeks or months, and some are only discovered after drifting across the Atlantic to the Caribbean or Latin America, often carrying only bodies.
Despite international efforts, including a €210 million deal between the European Union and Mauritania to clamp down on migrant smuggling, the flow continues unabated. Senegalese authorities say the Atlantic route is now being used not only by West Africans fleeing poverty and insecurity, but increasingly by migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan. Migration attempts typically spike in the winter months when ocean conditions are more favorable, but dangerous crossings now occur year-round as desperation grows. Authorities say those intercepted this week will be processed in accordance with national law, as the government continues to step up surveillance and border security to curb illegal migration and dismantle smuggling networks.
