15 people have died and over 150 are missing after a Europe-bound migrant boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania on Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. 

“We are deeply saddened by the death of 15 migrants and the estimated disappearance at sea of 195+ people after a boat capsized in Nouakchott,” the organization shared on social media.

The migrant boat, which was a long fishing vessel, embarked from The Gambia with around 300 people onboard. The passengers spent seven days at sea before the wooden boat overturned. 

“Among the survivors, 10 people were urgently referred to hospitals for medical care, and four unaccompanied and separated children were identified,” the UN migration agency said, referring to the 120 people who were rescued by the Mauritanian coastguard after two days of strong winds.

The organization also confirmed that the 15 casualties were found dead on arrival, and that the local coastguard is continuing its task of locating the missing passengers.

Unrest pushes migrants to the Canary Islands

Most migrant boats attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Spain's Canary Islands are from The Gambia and Senegal, AFP reported on Wednesday, citing a source from Mauritania.

The countries' political unrest, skyrocketing food prices, and decreasing fish populations have forced individuals to set sail on overcrowded vessels across dangerous routes. 

“Safe and regular pathways to migration are sorely lacking, which is what gives room to smugglers and traffickers to put people on these deadly journeys,” the IOM said in August, concerning the dangerous journey across the Atlantic.

In 2024, more than 19,700 migrants have reached the Canary Islands through the Atlantic Ocean, marking a 160% increase within the last year, the IOM said.

However, according to the Spanish NGO Ca-Minando Fronteras in June, over 5,000 people died while attempting to reach the European country, resulting in 33 daily deaths, the highest record since 2007.

At least 89 migrants dead after boat capsizes off Mauritania coast

Another migrant boat incident occurred earlier this month when a vessel capsized off the coast of Mauritania, resulting in at least 89 deaths.

The vessel, en route to Europe, sank offshore, leading to the tragic loss of life, according to Mauritania's state news agency and a senior local government official on June 4.

“The Mauritanian Coast Guard recovered the bodies of 89 people aboard a large traditional fishing boat that capsized on Monday, July 1 on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean,” the state news agency said.

Dozens of migrants are still missing after the boat capsized approximately four kilometers from the southwestern city of Ndiago.

According to Mauritania's state news agency, survivors reported that the vessel had departed from the border of Senegal and The Gambia with 170 passengers on board, leaving 72 migrants unaccounted for. The coastguard has rescued nine people so far, including a five-year-old girl. A senior local government official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed the state agency's report.