Over 1,000 migrants rescued off Mauritanian coast in ten days
via SeneNews2 min read
More than 1,000 irregular migrants have been rescued off the Mauritanian coast in ten days, indicating a resurgence of migratory flows along the perilous Atlantic route. Thousands of West Africans, primarily young people, have for years attempted irregular migration from their countries' coasts via the dangerous Atlantic route to reach Europe, mainly the Spanish Canary Islands, on overcrowded and often dilapidated boats. Ahmed Moulaye, director of the fight against irregular migration for the Mauritanian coast guard, stated that 1,076 migrants were rescued in Mauritanian waters within ten days, including 194 taken in by the National Navy during assistance to a pirogue on May 31. Moulaye added that at this rate, arrivals could reach unprecedented levels this year. These departures occurred a few days after the Muslim holiday of Tabaski in late May, following a period of several months with fewer sea rescues. Pierre Beziz, a European diplomat in Nouakchott, reported that eight pirogues were subsequently intercepted from neighboring Gambia and Senegal, though the nationalities of their passengers were not specified. All migrants were accommodated in new temporary reception centers for foreigners in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, funded by the European Union, where they were registered to determine vulnerability or eligibility for international protection. Beziz noted that there were zero arrivals in the Canary Islands during this period, despite expectations of an equal number arriv
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