Refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea in 2016. Source: Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia Commons
At least 300 migrants who were travelling from Senegal to the Canary Islands have disappeared, according to migrant aid group Walking Border.
Helen Maleno, of Walking Boarders, told Reuters that two boats, each carrying between 50 and 65 people, have now been missing for over two weeks since leaving Senegal.
On June 27th, another boat carrying around 200 people left Senegal.
All three boats departed from Kafountine in the south of Senegal, about 1,700 kilometres from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.
Ms Maleno said that none of those onboard have been heard from since they left.
“The families are very worried. There about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They have left because of the instability in Senegal,” Ms Maleno said.
A smaller number of migrants also seek to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach the Spanish mainland, with Summer being the busiest time of year for people to attempt to cross.
The Atlantic Migration route, for migrants trying to reach Spain from West Africa via the Canary Islands, is one of the deadliest in the world.
According to the United Nations International Organisation for Migration, at least 559 people, including 22 children, died last year while attempting to reach the Canary Islands.
This comes after the migrant boat that capsized off the coast of Greece around three weeks ago, leaving around 79 dead, and hundreds still missing.
