By Pap Saine
BANJUL, Jan 8 (Reuters) – The death toll after a boat carrying migrants to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia on New Year’s Eve has risen to 39, two government officials told Reuters, as survivors described the vessel as “overcrowded and dilapidated”.
Gambia’s defense ministry last week put the death toll at seven and said more than 200 people may have been on board.
A total of 112 people had been rescued since Wednesday, said Sima Lowe, a public relations officer for The Gambia’s Immigration Department, and a senior defense ministry official who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The migration route used by West Africans trying to reach Spain via the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest in the world.
The survivors interviewed by Reuters after being released from the hospital in Gambia this week said that the boat was going to Europe.
Their stories highlight the risks and challenges faced by would-be migrants from West Africa who are often fleeing poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunities in their home countries.
“It’s… desperation is driving me to risk my life, to look for better opportunities in Europe because of poverty and the lack of prospects at home,” said Sadibou Fatty, who described the trip as “traumatic”.
“I survived the tragedy but I lost friends and fellow passengers,” he said while adding that, unlike many others on board, he knew how to swim.
Of the 39 dead, 24 were recovered in Gambian territory, while 15 were recovered in Senegalese territory, the defense official said.
The passengers on board included citizens of Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, the official said.
“My friends in Europe inspired me to take the ‘back way’,” said Kajali Camara, another survivor, referring to irregular immigration routes using small boats.
“They are supporting their families back home, and I also wanted a better life,” he said.
The Gambian government said that in 2025 it intercepted more than 2,700 immigrants.
During the first 11 months of 2025, irregular migration to the European Union along the West African route decreased by 60%, according to the EU border agency Frontex.
The reduction is largely due to stronger prevention efforts by departure countries working with EU member states, Frontex said.
(Reporting by Pap Saine; Editing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet, Alexandra Hudson)