At least seven dead, dozens missing as migrant boat capsizes off The Gambia

Local authorities say there are at least seven fatalities in the wake of a boat carrying more than 200 people capsized off a well-known migration route off the Gambian coast. Different others are thought to be missing, according to local authorities.

The Ministry of Defense reported that the boat capsized on Thursday at midnight in the area of a village in the North Bank of The Gambia, according to a statement from the ministry.

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At least 96 people were rescued, many of whom were seriously hurt, and seven bodies were found, according to authorities.

Following a distress call, the Gambian navy conducted a search-and-rescue mission that involved several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to aid, according to the statement.

The shipwrecked vessel was later discovered “grounded into a sandbank,” according to the Defense Ministry.

Authorities are currently identifying the identities of several of the victims, whose identities have been changed to those of others, according to the statement.

By boat from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, which is a gateway to continental Europe, the Gambia has become a jumping-off point for migrants and asylum seekers.

In 2024, more than 46 000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, according to the European Union.

The rights organization Caminando Fronteras claims that more than 10,000 people died while crossing the Atlantic, a 58 percent increase over the same period in 2023.

The Frontex border agency attributes the decline to stronger prevention efforts by departure countries, which is explained by the fact that irregular migration into the EU along the West African route decreased by 60% in the first 11 months of 2025.

Migrants and asylum seekers continue to travel on fragile and frequently overcrowded vessels to Europe.