The crossing between Western Africa and the Canary Islands is considered the most deadly sea migration route to the EU. People who attempt to cross face rough seas in overcrowded boats, and, in some cases, violence.
The boat carrying Ismael Outtara and his family had been adrift in the Atlantic Ocean between southern Morocco and the island of Tenerife for several days. And then within 24 hours his 1-year-old daughter and his wife died.
“My daughter died in my arms,” Outtara told DW. “The next morning, my wife simply didn’t wake up. I think it was because of the shock of her death.”
Like thousands of people, Ouattara and his family had left Cote d’Ivoire to find more sustainable conditions in Europe. He never imagined what would unfold during the crossing. “The dead were simply thrown into the sea immediately,” the Ivorian remembers. “The others didn’t ask for permission.”
The tragedy happened four years ago. It still pains Ouattara how other passengers treated the bodies of his family. At least there were no outbreaks of violence among the surviving boat passengers afterward, according to the Ivorian. This is not unusual in such extreme situations on board.
Mohammed Manga told DW that he had survived a harrowing experience while crossing to the Canary Islands, an archipelago that is part of the EU member Spain. “There was a lot of violence on our boat,” the young Gambian, who arrived on the Canary Islands in 2023, said. “On the fourth day at sea, some panicked and accused each other of being witches.”
Many migrants who have made the voyage describe similarly explosive experiences.
Although no one died in the violent outburst on Manga’s boat, he said there were many injuries. To his knowledge, no one was held accountable — not even later, when the boat finally reached the Canary Islands.
“It’s very difficult to do anything then,” Manga said. “That’s why some people think they can get away with anything on the high seas.”
Thrown into sea
Crossings on the so-called Atlantic route between Western Africa and the Canary Islands have declined significantly. While official figures show that more than 40,000 migrants arrived on the islands in 2024, the number dropped to around 18,000 a year later. Observers attribute the drop to increased cooperation between Europe and traditional transit countries like Mauritania and Morocco, and, consequently, to stricter border controls in these countries.
Reports of extreme violence and murders on board the boats are on the rise, however.
Passengers on a journey in 2024 said three Senegalese men severely abused numerous people on their boat, causing some to suffer permanent injuries. In the autumn of 2025, Spanish police arrested 19 people after around 50 passengers on a boat died between Senegal and Gran Canaria Island. The suspects are accused of aggravated assault and murder.
Survivors of that journey report that the men attacked dozens of passengers, beating them to death and, in some cases, throwing them into the sea while they were alive. It remains unclear whether they were members of smuggling networks or simply passengers.
The Spanish National Police declined to comment on the incidents when contacted by DW.
‘They are terrified’
Loueila Sin Ahmed Ndiaye, a lawyer in the Canary Islands, regularly handles cases of violence on boats. She explained that a whole range of reasons make the prosecution of violent crimes on the migrant boats extremely difficult.
First, Sin Ahmed NdiayeIt said, there are questions of jurisdiction, as the crimes usually do not take place on Spanish territory and do not involve Spanish citizens. In addition, there are massive challenges with witness statements.
“The numerous police reports we have read show that people lose their sense of time. The cold, the uncertainty, no land in sight, the fear. All of this can significantly impair their mental health,” Sin Ahmed Ndiaye told DW.
Sin Ahmed Ndiaye said that often led to contradictions in witness statements.
“It makes a difference whether someone was sitting at the front or the back of the boat,” Sin Ahmed Ndiaye said, “so the statements often don’t paint a coherent picture.”
Furthermore, many surviving passengers refuse to cooperate with the Spanish authorities. Some don’t trust the lawyers provided to them. “After 10 to 14 days at sea, they are terrified, and the last thing they want is to be subjected to a court case and burden their fellow passengers.”
The most vulnerable people on board tend to suffer the most. “Children, unaccompanied minors and women,” the lawyer stressed.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/migrants-from-africa-brave-deadly-canary-islands-crossing/a-75840372
