Senegal And Mauritania Stop Hundreds Of Migrants Bound For Europe

DAKAR, Aug 24 (dpa) -- Security forces off the West African coast say they have intercepted more than 750 irregular migrants attempting to make the deadly crossing over sea to Europe within the space of a few days. 

Senegal's navy said on Sunday it had intercepted a boat carrying 210 people on Saturday, some of whom had serious health problems. On Thursday, 246 migrants were picked up off the coast, the navy said in a statement posted on X. 

Before that, the coastguard of Mauritania - Senegal's northern neighbour - said it had rescued 315 people on Wednesday from a wooden boat that had set off from Gambia, with infants said to be among those on board. 

People regularly set out from the West African coast on the Atlantic crossing to the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain. Many people die each year on the perilous route, which stretches around 1,500 kilometres from Senegal. 

After a record number of arrivals on the Canary Islands in 2024, the figure has fallen sharply since last year. According to the United Nations, 4,400 people had arrived via irregular crossings by mid-July this year - a drop of around 60% compared with the previous year. 

Stricter border checks and agreements between the European Union and Spain with countries in north and west Africa are seen as the main reasons for the decline.

--NNN-dpa