A boat full of people trying to get from West Africa to Spain's Canary Islands tipped over off the coast of Morocco. Sadly, at least 69 folks died, including 25 from Mali. Only 11 people made it out alive. The Malian authorities shared this awful news on Thursday after they figured out what happened. They've put together a special team to keep an eye on the situation.
Doulaye Keita, who works for Mali's Ministry of Malians Abroad, said a bunch of the Malians who died came from the Kayes area in the western part of Mali. Mamadou Siby is the mayor of a town called Marena in Kayes. He told the Associated Press that eight of the dead were from his town.
Mayor Siby explained that these young men had left Marena seven months ago. They went to work construction jobs in Mauritania, another nearby country, But then they started chatting with buddies in Europe and America. Those friends encouraged them to come on over. Most of the time, the men didn't even tell their families back home before they set out on the dangerous trip.
Tons of African migrants use this route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, hoping to eventually reach the mainland of Spain. It's been really busy this year. By the end of November, 41,425 people had already shown up, more than the record from last year, which was 39,910.
There are a few reasons why folks try to cross the sea like this. Some parts of Africa, like the Sahel region of Mali, have had fighting going on for years. There aren't enough jobs. Climate change is making it harder to farm. It's a tough situation.
An organization called Walking Borders tries to help migrants. They say the path from West Africa to Spain is the most deadly one in the whole world. Walking Borders put out a report on Thursday with some heartbreaking news. They've been keeping track since 2007, and this year was the worst ever. More than 10,000 people died attempting the journey.
The route that starts in Mauritania has been especially busy this year. Many people from the Sahel are taking it, but Walking Borders says 6,829 didn't make it.
The group thinks there are a couple of reasons for all these deaths. They say when migrants are in trouble, sometimes no one tries to save them. Or the rescues are done in a weird, random way. Governments also treat migrants like criminals. Walking Borders believes those in charge care more about controlling immigration than saving lives.
Doulaye Keita, who works for Mali's Ministry of Malians Abroad, said a bunch of the Malians who died came from the Kayes area in the western part of Mali. Mamadou Siby is the mayor of a town called Marena in Kayes. He told the Associated Press that eight of the dead were from his town.
Mayor Siby explained that these young men had left Marena seven months ago. They went to work construction jobs in Mauritania, another nearby country, But then they started chatting with buddies in Europe and America. Those friends encouraged them to come on over. Most of the time, the men didn't even tell their families back home before they set out on the dangerous trip.
Tons of African migrants use this route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, hoping to eventually reach the mainland of Spain. It's been really busy this year. By the end of November, 41,425 people had already shown up, more than the record from last year, which was 39,910.
There are a few reasons why folks try to cross the sea like this. Some parts of Africa, like the Sahel region of Mali, have had fighting going on for years. There aren't enough jobs. Climate change is making it harder to farm. It's a tough situation.
An organization called Walking Borders tries to help migrants. They say the path from West Africa to Spain is the most deadly one in the whole world. Walking Borders put out a report on Thursday with some heartbreaking news. They've been keeping track since 2007, and this year was the worst ever. More than 10,000 people died attempting the journey.
The route that starts in Mauritania has been especially busy this year. Many people from the Sahel are taking it, but Walking Borders says 6,829 didn't make it.
The group thinks there are a couple of reasons for all these deaths. They say when migrants are in trouble, sometimes no one tries to save them. Or the rescues are done in a weird, random way. Governments also treat migrants like criminals. Walking Borders believes those in charge care more about controlling immigration than saving lives.
