More than 60 migrants are feared dead following the rescue of a boat by a Spanish fishing vessel off the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The boat originally had over 100 people on board, and seven bodies were found on the boat, while an estimated 56 people are missing at sea and presumed dead, according to the International Organization for Migration. Senegal’s foreign affairs ministry reported that 38 people were rescued near Cape Verde earlier in the week. The boat, known as a pirogue, had departed from Senegal on July 10, as stated by the Spanish migration advocacy group, Walking Borders.
Families in Fass Boye, a seaside town located 90 miles north of the capital, Dakar, reached out to Walking Borders on July 20 after not hearing from their loved ones on the boat for 10 days, according to Helena Maleno Garzón, the founder of the organization. Cheikh Awa Boye, president of the local fishing association, stated that survivors made phone calls from Cape Verde following the rescue. Boye mentioned that two of his nephews are among the missing individuals. The Spanish fishing boat, Zillarri, operated by PEVASA, a tropical tuna fishing company, confirmed the rescue of 38 people and recovery of seven bodies from the Senegalese pirogue on August 14 after spotting it adrift northeast of Cape Verde. The survivors were described as being in a “bad state” and in need of assistance.
The survivors include four children aged between 12 and 16 years old. Walking Borders reports that nearly 1,000 migrants died in the first half of 2023 while attempting to reach Spain by sea. Migrants from West Africa risk their lives on overcrowded boats due to factors such as worsening youth unemployment, political unrest, violence by armed groups, and climate change. The BBC’s Nicholas Négoce writes that the residents of Fass Boye expressed sorrow and frustration after learning about the tragedy, leading to acts of arson and attacks on the mayor’s home. Négoce mentions that the young people blame the lack of opportunities and are demanding more assistance from the authorities. (Read more Cape Verde stories.)
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