According to official figures from Spain’s government, a record number of migrants have made the treacherous boat journey on the Atlantic Ocean to the Canary Islands this year alone, and most of the 32,000 people are coming from The Gambia and Senegal.
The islands, located off West Africa, have been used for decades as a stepping stone to Europe. Boats also depart from Gambia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Western Sahara
According to figures released by Spain’s Interior Ministry and local emergency services, at least 32,029 people landed on the Canary Islands from January to November 5. That exceeds the migration crisis of 2006 when 31,678 migrants disembarked.
According to Spain’s Interior, Smugglers in Senegal pack young people looking for better European opportunities into old artisanal fishing boats, charging them around 300,000 CFA francs ($490). The journey from Senegal to the Canaries usually takes a week of challenging upwind sailing for around 1,600 km (1,000 miles).
Migrant boats frequently shipwreck or disappear in the Atlantic. To avoid border controls, smugglers take longer journeys, navigating west into the open Atlantic before continuing north to the Canaries — a detour that brings many to the tiny westernmost El Hierro island, at times overwhelming local authorities and emergency services.
Once a beacon of democratic stability in West Africa, Senegal has seen socio-political unrest with violent clashes earlier this year. President Macky Sall’s embattled government has dissolved Ousmane Sonko’s opposition party, which is popular among young voters.
A lack of jobs, the rising cost of living, depleting fishing stocks, and poor health care are some of the reasons pushing thousands to leave Senegal for Spain, said.
While Senegalese migrants often struggle to obtain the necessary work and residency permits to stay in Spain, many eventually find ways to make a living in European cities or rural farmlands. When they do, the remittances they send home make a huge difference in their families’ lives.
At least 21 Bakau youths are reported to have died in the recently reported incidents. Reacting to the development, former Gambia’s Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service, Momodou Sabally, said: “Lest we forget, dozens of young Gambian lives have perished on the backway; many more dozens are unaccounted for (boats lost at sea). We cannot sit down quietly as a nation, pretending that nothing has happened.”
He said the Gambia government must come up with an official statement and declare an official period of mourning for those confirmed dead. “Let us use this opportunity to Initiate a national dialogue on the perilous backway and the general youth condition in the country. We cannot pretend that nothing is happening when lives have been destroyed and many more traumatized. Let us face this harsh reality and work towards remedies. It is our collective responsibility as a nation. Let us be bold enough to face and deal with it,” he added
