Mauritania: UN Refugee Agency Reports 144 Migrants Dead or Missing Off Mauritanian Coast

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a UN News Service report, says the UN refugee agency UNHCR has reported 144 migrants dead or missing after several maritime incidents off Mauritania’s coast last week. The people were trying to reach Europe, with many described by the agency as refugees. The report says one boat had left The Gambia for Spain’s Canary Islands and that those on board spent 25 days at sea.

According to the UN account, UNHCR, Mauritanian authorities and humanitarian partners were present during three disembarkations between 14 and 18 July, when 387 people were brought safely ashore. The most severe incident came on 18 July, when rescue teams found 38 survivors and 143 people dead or missing. UNHCR said two children among the survivors had lost all their family members during the journey.

The agency described the Atlantic crossing from West Africa to the Canary Islands as among the world’s most lethal sea routes, citing the length of the journey, rough and unpredictable conditions, overcrowded and unsafe vessels, and difficulty reaching boats in time. The report said arrivals in the Canary Islands had fallen 61% compared with the first half of 2025, with 4,400 arrivals by 15 July, while sea arrivals to Europe on major routes had also declined.

UNHCR said the deaths show the continuing need for safer alternatives to irregular sea crossings, including expanded resettlement, labour and education pathways. The agency also linked the crisis to broader pressures pushing people to leave their countries. In Mauritania this year, the report says 17 migrant boats have disembarked in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott, with 2,147 people rescued.