OVER 1,000 MIGRANTS RESCUED OFF WEST AFRICA ON ATLANTIC ROUTE TO EUROPE
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Agency Report
More than 1,000 migrants attempting the dangerous Atlantic migration route to Europe were rescued off the coast of West Africa in a single week, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said.
The humanitarian organisation said 1,046 people were travelling in seven boats that had departed The Gambia and were heading towards Spain’s Canary Islands when they became stranded at sea.
According to MSF, the migrants were intercepted during the last week of August and subsequently taken to Nouadhibou in Mauritania and the cities of Rosso and Dakar in Senegal.
The Atlantic route, which has been used for years by thousands of mostly young migrants seeking to reach Europe through the Canary Islands, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes.
Many migrants are fleeing poverty and other difficult conditions and attempt the journey in overloaded and often poorly maintained boats, particularly as European countries have tightened border controls and restricted access to legal migration routes.
MSF said many of those rescued were in poor physical condition, suffering from severe dehydration, unconsciousness, bone fractures, extreme fatigue, as well as skin, gastric and respiratory infections.
“The psychological impact on the survivors is profound, as many witnessed their loved ones die during the crossing,” the organisation said.
Among those rescued were 134 women, including one pregnant woman, and 88 minors, according to MSF.
The majority of the migrants were from Senegal and The Gambia, while others came from Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast and other countries.
MSF said several survivors also reported experiencing violence both in their countries of origin and along the migration route.
The latest rescue highlights the continuing risks faced by migrants attempting to cross the Atlantic in search of safety and better living conditions in Europe.
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