Senegal shipwreck: Anguish as dozens die on way to Canary Islands

The boat had departed from Mbour, about 80km south of the capital city Dakar, bound for Spain’s Canary Islands, which are off the coast of West Africa.

In recent years, the number of migrants leaving West Africa through Senegal has surged.

Mostly young men – fleeing conflict, poverty, and unemployment – are attempting the dangerous Atlantic route to the Spanish Islands, with nearly 30,000 arrivals recorded this year.

Spain is one of the European countries that takes in the most migrants, and the Mediterranean Sea route remains the most popular.

But a growing number of West African migrants are choosing to travel via the Atlantic Ocean to the Canary Islands instead.

Despite the dangers, it involves just one step, rather than needing to cross both the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean.

The surge in migrants attempting the crossing prompted Spain’s prime minister to visit three West African countries last month – Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia – for crisis talks with leaders.

Earlier this year, a $227m deal was made between the EU and Mauritania to bolster border security. Spain was a key partner in the talks in Mauritania that had led to it.