At least 56 people died in a series of shipwrecks off Senegal and Greece over the weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Monday, 9 November 2026, describing the tragedy as a stark reminder of the deadly risks migrants face on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, according to a press release. Search operations are continuing, and the death toll remains provisional, with others still reported missing. The incidents occurred along two of the world’s most perilous migration corridors. IOM is urging stronger search and rescue efforts and safer migration pathways to prevent further loss of life. The agency warned that smuggling networks continue to profit from desperation.
Off the coast of northwestern Senegal, at least 34 people died on Friday when a boat carrying migrants capsized near Loumpoul, between Dakar and Saint-Louis. One survivor was rescued, and an unknown number of people remain missing, according to Senegalese authorities and public reports. South of Crete, at least 22 people died in two separate incidents after boats that had departed from eastern Libya got into distress at sea. Rising arrivals on the eastern Libya–Crete route to mainland Europe this year, combined with gaps in search and rescue capacity, are heightening concerns over the journey’s risks. IOM highlighted both routes as increasingly deadly.
In one of the incidents near Crete, Greek authorities rescued 28 Sudanese migrants and recovered eight bodies, with several people reported missing. In the other, 18 survivors were rescued and 14 bodies recovered after a cargo ship spotted the vessel in distress. On the Western African Atlantic Route alone, IOM has recorded at least 454 deaths and disappearances so far this year, as of 26 October. These are minimum estimates, as many boats disappear without survivors or trace. Departures have increasingly shifted south towards The Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, lengthening journeys and exposing migrants to greater risks at sea.
“These were mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, people who left home hoping for a better life,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. She noted that smugglers and traffickers charged them for a dangerous journey on boats that were not fit for the sea. “These networks profit from desperation, and every day they operate, more lives are put at risk,” she said. Pope added that countries must go after them together and give people safe, legal ways to move. “Our hearts are with every family waiting for news,” she said.
IOM called for sustained cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination to address the crisis. The agency’s recommendations include:
The weekend losses underscore the enduring dangers along the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes. IOM reiterated that joint action remains essential to prevent further tragedies at sea.