UN reports 144 migrants dead or missing after maritime incidents off Mauritania coast

Jul 21, 2026

At least 144 refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing following maritime incidents off Mauritania between July 14 and 18. UNHCR said 143 people were reported dead or missing from a boat that left The Gambia and was rescued after nearly 25 days at sea, while 38 survivors, including two children who lost all their family members, were brought ashore. Mauritania's coast guard separately said the boat had carried 160 people, a discrepancy that AP said was not immediately clear. While maritime arrivals to Europe have declined, UNHCR said deaths and disappearances at sea remain at alarming levels.

Mauritania maritime tragedies

▪At least 144 refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing after maritime incidents involving boats attempting the journey from West Africa toward Europe off the coast of Mauritania.
▪UNHCR said 38 people survived from the Gambian vessel and 143 others were reported dead or missing. AP noted that this differed from the Mauritanian coast guard's figure of 160 people aboard and that the discrepancy was unclear.
▪Mauritania's coast guard said a boat carrying 160 people from The Gambia ran out of fuel and was stranded at sea for 25 days before being rescued off Mauritania.
▪One person was declared dead on arrival from a separate vessel that reached Mauritania on July 14, 2026.

Sub-Saharan migration routes to Europe

▪The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world's deadliest corridors due to long distances, unpredictable ocean conditions, and unseaworthy boats.
▪Mauritania's waters have become a major transit route for sub-Saharan African migrants fleeing conflict in Mali and seeking economic opportunities in Europe.

Rescue operations off Mauritania

▪The Mauritanian coast guard rescued 179 people who had boarded a boat from Senegal on July 18, 2026.
▪Three rescue and disembarkation operations conducted between July 14 and July 18, 2026, brought 387 people of various nationalities safely ashore in Mauritania.
▪Mauritanian authorities have recorded 17 disembarkations in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott in 2026, rescuing a total of 2,147 individuals.

Survivor assistance in Nouadhibou

▪The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees provided humanitarian assistance to the 38 survivors brought ashore in Nouadhibou on July 18, 2026.
▪Two children who lost all of their family members during the 25-day journey were among the survivors recovering in a hospital in Nouadhibou.

Migration mortality statistics

▪Just over 40,000 migrants and refugees arrived in Europe via major maritime routes during the first half of 2026, down from 65,407 in the same period of 2025.
▪The number of sea arrivals to the Canary Islands fell 61 percent from 2025, with 4,400 arrivals recorded as of July 15, 2026.

UNHCR policy recommendations

▪The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees renewed calls for greater access to education, employment, and legal migration pathways to prevent sea deaths.
▪The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called for stronger international cooperation to save lives and expand safe migration corridors.