Mauritanian authorities have reported the rescue of more than 75 migrants traveling in a boat located off the coast of the city of Nouadhibou. The operation is part of the increase in this type of intervention in recent weeks, a period in which more than a thousand people have been intercepted in Mauritanian waters.
In a statement released on social media, the Mauritanian Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime and Port Infrastructure detailed that the boat, originally used for fishing, had departed from Guinea with 77 occupants, including seven minors, all of Guinean nationality.
The department specified that the vessel began its journey on May 29, so it would have remained in the Atlantic Ocean for about two weeks before being intercepted. "The individuals were treated in line with applicable legal and humanitarian procedures, in respect of national and international obligations," it added.
This rescue occurs a few days after another operation in which about 125 migrants, including thirteen minors, were assisted, traveling in a boat located off the coast of the town of Nouamghar. In that case, the boat had departed from Banjul, the capital of Gambia.
Mauritania has consolidated itself as one of the main departure points on the Atlantic route, and the country's authorities have confirmed the interception of more than 1,000 people on these boats in the last two weeks, in a context of increased departures in recent years, with the Canary Islands as the main destination.
According to data collected by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on its website, since 2014 around 6,600 people have lost their lives or are listed as missing on this route. It is the second highest figure, only behind the Sahara Desert, where more than 7,000 deaths and disappearances have been documented.