Atlantic Graveyard – Inside the Mauritania Migrant Boat Disaster

Late on a Tuesday night in August 2025, a wooden fishing boat carrying around 160 people — men, women, and children from The Gambia and Senegal — capsized off the coast of Mauritania, about 80 km north of Nouakchott. By the time the Mauritanian coastguard reached the scene, the Atlantic had already claimed most of its passengers.

The official death toll now stands at 69, with 17 survivors pulled from the water and more than 70 still missing. It is one of the deadliest incidents this year along the Atlantic migration route — a corridor already notorious as one of the world’s most lethal.

The Final Hours

According to Mauritanian coastguard officials, the boat had been at sea for a week after leaving The Gambia. Survivors told authorities they were nearing land when they saw the lights of a coastal town. In a fatal moment of excitement, passengers shifted en masse to one side of the vessel, causing it to capsize.

“When the migrants saw the lights… they tried to move to one part of the boat, causing it to capsize,” said coastguard chief Mohamed Abdullah.

The survivors — exhausted, dehydrated, and traumatised — were taken to Nouakchott for medical care and questioning.

The Atlantic Route: A Deadly Gamble

The Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands has surged in use over the past five years. It is longer and more dangerous than the Mediterranean crossing, with strong currents, unpredictable weather, and the constant risk of engine failure.

In 2024 alone, at least 10 457 migrants died attempting to reach Spain by sea — an average of 30 deaths per day — according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras. That’s up from around 18 per day in 2023.

Mauritania has become a key staging post for migrants from across West and Central Africa. Many arrive overland from countries like Mali, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, hoping to board boats bound for the Canaries.

Push and Pull Factors

Interviews with survivors and aid workers point to a mix of drivers:

• Economic hardship in The Gambia and Senegal, exacerbated by climate impacts on agriculture and fishing.
• Political instability in parts of the Sahel, pushing people to seek safety and opportunity abroad.
• Diaspora networks in Europe, offering both inspiration and logistical support for the journey.

Europe’s Outsourced Border

A Human Rights Watch report released days before the disaster accused Mauritanian security forces of “serious human rights violations” against migrants and asylum seekers over the past five years — including torture and sexual violence. The report argues these abuses have been “exacerbated” by the European Union and Spain outsourcing migration control to Mauritania.

While Mauritania’s government has recently taken steps to improve migrant protections, critics say the EU’s externalisation policy traps people in unsafe transit countries without addressing the root causes of migration.

Rescue and Recovery

The Mauritanian coastguard, supported by local fishermen, recovered and buried the bodies in the presence of health and administrative officials. The search for the missing continued for days, hampered by rough seas.

Aid agencies have called for better coordination of search‑and‑rescue operations along the Atlantic route, noting that many boats disappear without trace.

The Smuggling Economy

Behind each voyage is a network of smugglers who charge between $1 000 and $2 500 per passenger. Boats are often overloaded and unseaworthy, with minimal fuel and no safety equipment.

Smugglers operate with relative impunity, exploiting poverty and the lack of legal migration pathways. In some cases, they are linked to other criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking and money laundering.

Survivor Pathways

For the 17 survivors, the journey is far from over. Some may be granted temporary humanitarian status in Mauritania; others face deportation to their countries of origin. Without legal aid, many risk falling back into the hands of smugglers in a desperate bid to try again.

Climate Linkages

Climate change is an under‑reported driver of West African migration. Rising sea levels and overfishing — often by foreign industrial fleets — have devastated coastal livelihoods in Senegal and The Gambia. Inland, erratic rainfall and desertification are pushing farmers off their land.

As one aid worker in Nouakchott put it: “When the sea no longer feeds you and the land no longer grows for you, the only option left is to move.”

Comparative Context

This disaster is part of a grim pattern. In July 2024, at least 89 migrants died when another boat capsized off Mauritania. In 2019, a similar tragedy claimed 62 lives. Each incident prompts brief international attention, but systemic change remains elusive.

Closing

For the families of the 69 confirmed dead — and the dozens still missing — the Atlantic is now a graveyard. For policymakers in Africa and Europe, the question is whether this tragedy will be another statistic, or a turning point in how the world responds to one of the deadliest migration routes on earth.

Major Atlantic Route Disasters Since 2020

Dec 2019 – Mauritania: 62 dead after a boat from The Gambia capsizes near Nouadhibou.
Jul 2021 – Mauritania: Dozens missing after a migrant boat sinks off the coast.
Jul 2024 – Mauritania: At least 89 dead in one of the worst Atlantic route disasters in recent years.
Aug 2025 – Mauritania: 69 dead, 17 rescued, 70+ missing after a boat capsizes north of Nouakchott.