A vessel carrying about 160 migrants capsized off the coast of Mauritania late on Tuesday after passengers moved toward visible coastal lights, causing the boat to tip. Sixty-nine people drowned and 17 survivors were rescued by a coastguard patrol. The boat is believed to have departed the Gambia about a week earlier and included Senegalese and Gambian nationals. Thousands of migrants die attempting maritime crossings to Europe; the IOM recorded at least 8,938 deaths in 2024. Overland Sahara routes are also perilous, with extreme heat. Human Rights Watch documented harsh mistreatment of migrants and cited an EU-funded crackdown.
The accident occurred late on Tuesday after passengers on the boat spotted the lights of a coastal town about 50 miles (80km) north of the capital, Nouakchott, prompting the occupants to press to one side of the boat, causing it to capsize, Mohamed Abdallah, the head of the coastguard, told reporters. When the migrants saw the lights of the Mheijrat, they tried to move to one part of the boat, causing it to capsize, Abdallah said.
In a 142-page report released on Wednesday, HRW said it had documented police use of prolonged, painful restraints, limited food and water, and other mistreatment in a crackdown funded since 2024 by a 210m (182m) deal with the EU. Authorities in Nouakchott have not yet responded to the report, which has caused debate in government and humanitarian circles this week.
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