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The UN\u2019s refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that 144 migrants attempting to reach Europe are dead or missing due to a series of \u201ctragic maritime incidents\u201d off the coast of Mauritania last week.<\/p>\nThe UN\u2019s refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that 144 migrants attempting to reach Europe are dead or missing due to a series of \u201ctragic maritime incidents\u201d off the coast of Mauritania last week.<\/p>\n
The migrants, many of whom were refugees, spent 25 days stranded on a boat from The Gambia headed for Spain\u2019s Canary Islands<\/strong>, highlighting the dangerous nature of this sea route.<\/p>\n Between 14 and 18 July, UNHCR, national authorities and humanitarian partners were present at three disembarkations which brought 387 people safely ashore<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Tweet URL <\/p>\n Rescue efforts culminated in an operation on 18 July where teams found 38 survivors and 143 dead or missing.<\/p>\n Among the survivors that day were two children who lost their entire families at sea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Atlantic route between the West African mainland and the Canary Islands is one of the world\u2019s deadliest sea corridors due to long distances, unpredictable ocean conditions, unseaworthy overcrowded boats and limited access to timely rescue, according to UNHCR.<\/p>\n \u201cThe incidents highlight the persistent risks faced by refugees and migrants attempting to reach Europe<\/strong>, many of whom are embarking over 2,000 km away from their intended destination,\u201d the agency wrote in a press release on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Arrivals to the Canary Islands dropped by 61 per cent this year compared to the first half of 2025, with 4,400 arrivals by 15 July. Similarly, arrivals to Europe by sea on the major routes dropped from 65,407 last year to more than 40,000 this year.<\/p>\n Still, UNHCR underscored that deaths and disappearances at sea continue at alarming levels, often without significant public attention<\/strong>, and that many boats carrying refugees have vanished at sea.<\/p>\nRefugees face dangerous conditions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Call for action<\/strong><\/h2>\n