1,191 migrants left Gambian shores during the period, a 60% decline compared to July–August and a 74% drop in the number of boats departing.
Most were men, but the group also included 19 women and seven minors, among them four babies. Migrants reported having departed from Barra
This illegal transit was being facilitated by motorbike operators who transported them from the Barra end to the crossing site.
Four of the victims, all males aged between 15 and 35, were found aboard a canoe carrying 121 people that ran out of food, water, and fuel
All had departed from The Gambia in early November, attempting to reach the Canary Islands, a route increasingly marked by deadly risks
The young Gambian reached Los Cristianos, Tenerife, on 28 October 2023 after a nine-day journey from Gambia with 226 other migrants.
According to the Navy, the group consisted of 163 Gambian nationals, 15 Senegalese, and two Guineans from Conakry.
Throughout October, several suspected migration organisers and facilitators were identified, including some believed to be operating from Senegal and Spain.
This arrival marks the second large canoe from Barra to reach El Hierro this week as a smaller wooden vessel carrying 112 migrants made landfall Tuesday
The suspect found in possession of the firearm, Abdou Diouf, will be handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation
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