The Senegalese navy intercepts 272 illegal migrants in canoes and brings them back to the port of Dakar

The Senegalese navy announced on Saturday October 1 that it had boarded two canoes carrying 272 passengers the day before. This is the latest interception in a series of interventions targeting migrant boats trying to reach Europe. Among the passengers stopped Friday in the Atlantic, 100 km off the coast of Dakar by a navy patrol boat, were 16 women and seven children, she said on social networks. They were brought back to the port of Dakar.

Another canoe was intercepted Thursday, with 71 migrants on board. In recent weeks, the Senegalese navy has stepped up checks, rescue operations and treatment of illegal migrants. It has thus stopped the journey of 1,693 migrants since July 1, according to a count established from its information on social networks. Many of the passengers in these canoes are Senegalese, but other nationalities are represented.

The Senegalese represent the second nationality of migrants who crossed the Atlantic between January and July 2023 (21% of the total), behind Moroccans (29%) and ahead of Ivorians (12%) and Guineans (10%), according to the European coast and border guard agency Frontex. Since the start of the year, 140 migrants have died or disappeared during this crossing, says the International Organization for Migration. The Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, which relies on emergency calls with illegal immigrants at sea or their relatives, reports 778 deaths.