DAKAR, Senegal — At least 56 people died in a series of shipwrecks off Senegal and Greece over the weekend, the International Organization for Migration said on November 9, 2026.
Read the UN News report: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/11/1168769
The agency called the deaths a stark reminder of the deadly risks migrants face on the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes, the report stated.
The dead included at least 34 people off Senegal and at least 22 people south of Crete, according to the report.
A Capsizing Off Senegal, One Survivor, And A Continuing Search
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, the report stated.
One survivor was rescued and an unknown number of people remain missing, according to Senegalese authorities and public reports cited in the report.
Search operations are continuing, and the death toll remains provisional, the report stated.
Two Boats From Libya, Rescues South Of Crete, And Missing Passengers
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, according to the report.
In one incident, Greek authorities rescued 28 Sudanese migrants and recovered eight bodies, with several people reported missing, the report stated.
In the other, 18 survivors were rescued and 14 bodies recovered after a cargo ship spotted the vessel in distress, according to the report.
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Rising arrivals on the eastern Libya to Crete route to mainland Europe this year, combined with gaps in search and rescue capacity, are heightening concerns over the risks people face on the journey, the agency said.
454 Deaths On One Route, A Director General's Warning, And A Call For Action
On the Western African Atlantic Route alone, the agency has recorded at least 454 deaths and disappearances so far this year, as of October 26, according to the report.
These are minimum estimates, as many boats disappear without survivors or trace, the report stated.
Departures on the route have increasingly shifted south towards The Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, lengthening journeys and exposing migrants to greater risks at sea, according to the report.
"These were mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, people who left home hoping for a better life," said IOM Director General Amy Pope.
"Countries must go after them together and give people safe, legal ways to move. Our hearts are with every family waiting for news," Pope said.
The agency called for sustained cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination, including coordinated search and rescue, support for survivors and the families of the missing, stronger action against smuggling networks, and expanded safe and regular migration pathways, according to the report.
What happens next is the continuing search off Senegal and the identification of the dead and missing on both routes. Families seeking information about missing migrants are directed to the International Organization for Migration and local authorities.
Sources
UN News, "At least 56 migrants die in weekend shipwrecks off Senegal and Greece," November 9, 2026: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/11/1168769
Transparency notes
Published: Nov 9, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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