Over 60 Migrants Feared Dead Near Cape Verde Coast

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Facts

  • Authorities and migrant advocates said Thursday that more than 60 migrants are feared dead after a Spanish vessel rescued a Senegalese traditional fishing boat carrying more than 100 people off Cape Verde.1
  • The boat left Fass Boye, a small fishing village about 90 miles (145 km) north of Dakar, Senegal's capital, on July 10 and capsized according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).2
  • Thirty-eight people were rescued from a boat off the Cape Verdean island of Sal. Almost all of the passengers were thought to be from Senegal.[3]
  • While information is limited, those who are missing are presumed dead. The cause of the maritime disaster has yet to be determined.[4]
  • The wooden boat was spotted Monday in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa, about 150 nautical miles (277 km) from Cape Verde. Early reports suggested the boat had sunk, but later developments suggested it was adrift.[5]
  • The route from West Africa to Spain is one of the world's most perilous migration routes. Refugee flows departing from Senegal in wooden boats have increased dramatically in the past year.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2The New York Times, 3BBC News, 4Al Jazeera, 5The Guardian, and 6Sky News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by DW. Heightened border controls in northern Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia have pushed migrants from northwest African nations to opt for the more perilous route on the Atlantic to the Spanish Canary Islands. The trip can take anywhere from one to ten days, and it's common for migrants to run out of food, water, and fuel after only a few days on board. This is a sad and tragic outcome of a global migration crisis exacerbated by regional actors.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Socialist Worker. These deaths of migrants in the Atlantic are not accidental. European leaders have made a political choice to force refugees to make these dangerous journeys by setting up xenophobic border controls and severely limiting safe refugee routes. African nations should not be to blame — these crises are caused by inhumane European policies.