On April 28, 2026, Moroccan naval forces rescued 44 Guinean migrants off the coast of Dakhla, in the disputed Western Sahara region, after their boat capsized in rough seas. The rescue operation was confirmed by the Moroccan military, which stated that the migrants were in distress and had been adrift for several days.
The survivors, all men, were brought to the port of Dakhla and provided with medical assistance. According to local sources, the boat had departed from Mauritania, attempting to reach the Canary Islands, a common route for migrants from West Africa seeking to enter Europe.
No fatalities were reported in this incident, but the rescue highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants on this Atlantic route. In 2025, over 10,000 migrants died or went missing while attempting to reach Spain, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The Guinean government has not yet commented on the rescue. The migrants are expected to be processed by Moroccan authorities, who typically repatriate undocumented migrants or transfer them to shelters run by international organizations.
