Authorities in The Gambia have intercepted 782 migrants attempting to use the country as a transit point to Europe, the interior ministry confirmed on Friday. The operation follows a deadly boat capsizing off the Gambian coast on New Year’s Eve, which claimed at least 31 lives.
Spokesman for the Gambia Immigration Department, Siman Lowe, told AFP that three coordinated operations, beginning January 3, led to the arrests of migrants across multiple locations in the country. “We conducted three operations, which led to the interception of 782 would-be migrants across different locations in the country,” Lowe said.
The migrants included 233 from Senegal, 197 from The Gambia, 176 from Guinea, and 148 from Mali. Most were young people seeking passage to Europe, often via overcrowded and unsafe boats to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The Gambia’s interior ministry expressed deep concern over the rapid rise in maritime departures from its shores, citing increased attempts to cross the Atlantic following intensified patrols by Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.
“The situation has prompted the activation of special operation teams to decisively respond,” the ministry said.
Several migrant boat accidents have been linked to Gambian waters in recent months. A vessel carrying more than 200 people that departed from the northern village of Jinack on December 5 remains unaccounted for, while another boat carrying over 190 migrants that left on November 17 has been confirmed sunk after weeks of failed tracing, according to the Ebrima Migrant Situation Foundation.
The Guardian reports that on New Year’s eve, no fewer than 31 people died after an overloaded boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized off the Gambian coast
The vessel, carrying over 200 passengers, made a distress call overnight on December 31 to January 1 near the North Bank region. The Gambian Navy, alongside local fishing boats, launched a search for survivors after midnight. The boat was eventually found stranded on a sandbank.
“Fifteen bodies are confirmed to be recovered from the Gambia and 16 in Senegal,” the government said, updating the previous report that seven people had died. A total of 102 people were rescued, 23 of whom required hospital treatment.
President Adama Barrow expressed the nation’s grief over the disaster, saying the country was in mourning.
Thousands of young people from West Africa continue to attempt the perilous journey to Europe, often via the Spanish Canary Islands, using overcrowded and poorly maintained boats. Increased maritime patrols by Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco have pushed departures further south, particularly from Gambia and Guinea, lengthening the journey and increasing the risks for migrants.
