Desperate to get to Europe, migrants from West Africa often travel in overloaded boats
Coastguards in Mauritanian have recovered 89 bodies from a capsized migrant boat in the Atlantic Ocean.
Nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl, reported that the boat, carrying 170 people, departed from the Senegalese-Gambian border and capsized off Mauritania's coast.
Mauritania is a key transit point for migrants heading to Europe, with many aiming for Spain's Canary Islands. Nearly 40,000 migrants reached the islands last year, double the previous year's number.
Overloaded boats are common, and more than 5,000 migrants died attempting the journey to Spain in early 2024. The EU recently granted Mauritania €210m to combat undocumented migration.
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