Over 40 Pakistani migrants feared drowned in Spain boat accident

At least 50 migrants, including 44 from Pakistan, are feared to have drowned after their boat sank while attempting to reach Spain from West Africa.

The boat, which left Mauritania on January 2, was carrying 86 people, with 36 survivors rescued by Moroccan authorities on Wednesday, according to the migrant rights group Walking Borders.

The group, based in Madrid and Navarra, stated that it had alerted relevant authorities six days ago about the missing vessel.

Alarm Phone, an NGO that helps migrants lost at sea, also informed Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service on January 12, but the service claimed to have no information regarding the boat.

Relatives of the Pakistani migrants reported that human traffickers had anchored the boat in the open sea, demanding additional money from the passengers before the tragedy occurred.

Walking Borders CEO Helena Maleno emphasized that the migrants endured 13 days of suffering at sea without any assistance.

In 2024, a record 10,457 migrants died attempting to reach Spain, with most fatalities occurring along the dangerous Atlantic route from West African countries such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands.