30 decomposing bodies of suspected migrants found off Senegal coast

At least 30 decomposing bodies have been found on a boat off the coast of Senegal.

The BBC reports that there has been a spike in migrants taking off from Senegal for Spain’s Canary Islands. The journey spans more than 1,500km (950 miles) across the Atlantic Ocean.

According to a military statement, the navy was informed of a vessel that was adrift about 70km from the Senegalese capital of Dakar.

The wooden boat was dragged onto shore on Monday morning.

“Recovery, identification and transfer operations are being made extremely delicate by the advanced state of decomposition of the bodies,” the statement reads.

The military said investigations are under way to determine when and where the boat departed, and how many people were on board.

In August, at least 14 decomposing bodies, believed to have been those of Senegalese migrants, were found off the coast of the Dominican Republic by a local fisherman.

In the same month, the Senegalese government announced a 10-year plan to tackle illegal migration amid a surge in migrant-related deaths.

The authorities have intercepted hundreds of migrants on boats off the country’s coast in recent weeks.

Despite frequent tragedies, unemployment, conflict and poverty continue to drive many Africans to embark on perilous journeys to Spain’s Canary Islands.

Young West African migrants prefer the Canary Islands route to reach Europe, because it involves a single journey, when juxtaposed with having to cross the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.