More than 1,100 migrants have been rescued off the Mauritanian coast in less than two weeks, the Mauritanian coast guard said on Tuesday, marking a resurgence of migrant activity along the dangerous Atlantic route.
In recent years, thousands of people, mostly young people, have tried to reach Europe from West Africa in crowded and dilapidated canoes, mainly via Spain’s Canary Islands.
The latest departure comes just days after the main Muslim holiday in Tabaski in late May, after a few months of lull.
Ahmed Moulaye, director of the irregular migration unit of the Mauritanian coast guard, told AFP that given the new rate of increase, “at this rate, arrivals this year could reach unprecedented levels”.
Moulaye said that since May 28, 1,187 migrants have been rescued in Mauritanian waters.
Pierre Bezizi, a European diplomat based in the capital Nouakchott, told AFP that the eight intercepted canoes were from the nearby countries of Gambia and Senegal, but the nationalities of those on board were not specified.
According to the coast guard, one was intercepted near Mamghar, about 200 kilometers north of Nouakchott, at around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
The migrants are being taken to new EU-funded temporary reception centers in Nouakchott and the northwestern city of Nouadhibou.
These individuals are registered to determine whether they are vulnerable or eligible for international protection.
Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco have recently tightened maritime controls, leading to changes in the departure point for clandestine ships bound for the Canary Islands.
Migrants are now traveling from further south, particularly from the coasts of The Gambia and Guinea, extending the time spent at sea and increasing the dangers.
As Europe tightens visa issuance and tightens border controls, many African migrants are turning to clandestine routes.
Thousands of people have died or disappeared trying to reach Europe along this route in recent years.
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This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
