Seven dead, 96 rescued after migrant boat capsizes in Gambia

Seven bodies were recovered, and 96 people rescued after a boat, carrying potentially over 200 migrants, capsized overnight in northwest Gambia, the country’s defence ministry reported on January 1, noting that search and recovery efforts were ongoing.

The incident is the latest along one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes, used mainly by West Africans attempting to reach Spain via the Canary Islands, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Authorities said the boat overturned around midnight near a village in Gambia’s North Bank region and was later found grounded on a sandbank.

The rescue operation involved three naval speedboats, a coastal patrol vessel, and a local fishing canoe whose operators volunteered to assist.

Ten of the rescued migrants were in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care, though their nationalities were not disclosed. 

In 2024, over 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands, a record high, while more than 10,000 died attempting the journey—a 58% increase from 2023, according to rights group Caminando Fronteras. 

However, in the first 11 months of 2025, irregular migration along the West African route into the European Union fell 60%, largely due to stronger prevention measures by departure countries in coordination with EU member states, Frontex reported.

By Jeyhun Aghazada