By Charles Maduka
The Mauritanian Coast Guard has rescued 260 migrants, including 17 children, from two boats off the country’s Atlantic coast.
According to the service, the migrants had departed from Banjul, The Gambia, and were left distressed after their food supplies ran out while they also encountered fuel and navigation difficulties.
The two vessels were located off Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, after spending about seven days at sea.
A statement from the coast guard said those rescued included 132 Senegalese nationals, 120 Gambians, four Guineans and several other West Africans.
The statement also disclosed that 61 women and 17 children were among the migrants found on the boats.
For several years, thousands of mostly young migrants have taken the dangerous Atlantic route in overcrowded and frequently dilapidated boats in an attempt to reach Europe through Spain’s Canary Islands.
Many of them are escaping poverty and have turned to the clandestine route as European countries have significantly tightened visa issuance and strengthened controls along their borders.
Leave a Reply