The Senegalese Navy rescued 282 migrants aboard a canoe from a neighboring country off the coast of Dakar on Saturday, underscoring its critical role in safeguarding lives during perilous sea crossings.
Authorities confirmed that all those rescued were handed over to the relevant services, reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to maritime safety and the protection of human lives.
The operation comes amid renewed warnings from the Caminando Fronteras collective, which reported 1,865 deaths or disappearances along the western Euro-African migration route between January and May 2025.
Nearly half of these shipwrecks were linked to border control policies and rescue delays.
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands remains the deadliest, with 1,482 victims, mostly on the Mauritanian sub-route.
While departures from Senegal and The Gambia have declined, at least 110 people have died on this path, highlighting the ongoing dangers of irregular migration from the region.
