Senegal's Interior Ministry said one person had been rescued. The vessel sank between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis while travelling on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.

Victims and search operation

Saliou Diouf, founder of the Senegalese migrant aid group Boza Fii, told AFP that all bodies recovered so far were Senegalese. Authorities had not established the nationalities of other people who may have been aboard the boat.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye offered condolences to the families of those killed and urged Senegalese citizens not to take the dangerous sea crossings. In a statement posted on X, he said the government would intensify action against networks organising the journeys.

“We will relentlessly continue the fight against those who organise these crossings and the work that gives our young people reasons to hope here,” Faye said.

Atlantic route remains dangerous

The sinking adds to concerns about the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands. Migrant rights group Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the route between January and May 2026, describing it as the highest death toll among the routes it monitors.

The group estimated that about 21 people died for every 100 who reached the Canary Islands during that period. The route has become a major entry point to Europe for migrants and refugees travelling from West Africa.

Senegalese authorities also said they intercepted another boat on Friday carrying 142 migrants attempting to reach Spain. The group included 23 women, two babies and two other children, and police said those aboard were from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.

Pressure on Senegal and the Canary Islands

Senegal's Interior Ministry said on Sunday that it would continue targeting people-smuggling networks, including through stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries.

Limited employment opportunities, family pressure and established migration networks are among the reasons people leave Senegal, according to the International Organization for Migration. Senegal's statistics agency reported that nearly one in four young people was unemployed in the second quarter of 2026.

On Spain's El Hierro island, authorities declared a state of emergency on Saturday after more than 3,300 migrants arrived in about 30 boats since the beginning of November.