9 Corpses Found Adrift In Boat Off Brazil Were Likely Migrants From Mauritania And Mali, Police Say

Barcelona, Spain – Brazilian authorities investigating the horrific discovery of a boat full of corpses believe the victims were African migrants from Mali and Mauritania.

On Saturday, fishermen off Brazil’s northern coastal state of Pará discovered the yacht adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil’s Federal Police announced late Monday that nine people had been found deceased.

“Documents and objects found near the bodies indicate that the victims were migrants from the African continent, from the region of Mauritania and Mali,” according to the press release. Police said that other nationalities could have been among the dead.

Migrants From Mauritania: Getty Images

9 Corpses Found Adrift In Boat Off Brazil Were Likely Migrants From Mauritania And Mali, Police Say

The about 12-meter (39-foot)-long white and blue canoe-shaped boat discovered in Brazil matches traits with Mauritanian fishing pirogues commonly used by West African migrants and refugees fleeing to Spain’s Canary Islands, implying that Brazil was not their goal.

The Atlantic crossing from West Africa to European Union territory is among the most dangerous in the world. The Atlantic trade winds and currents may carry away boats that miss their destination, causing them to drift for months. Migrants aboard frequently perish from dehydration and starvation. Others have jumped into the ocean out of desperation.

As boatloads of refugees continue to arrive, MPs vote on asylum applications at the 164th session of the Bundestag on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Berlin, Germany.

Crane Lifts Migrant Boat: Getty Images

9 Corpses Found Adrift In Boat Off Brazil Were Likely Migrants From Mauritania And Mali, Police Say

The German parliament has approved payment cards for refugee seekers to minimize cash payments.
According to a report released last year by the Associated Press, at least seven boats from northwest Africa were discovered in the Caribbean and Brazil in 2021, all containing dead victims.

This year, migration from Africa’s northwest coast to Spain increased by 500%, which frightened European officials. Despite a 210 million euro agreement between the European Union and Mauritania in February, the majority of departures have occurred from the West African country.

According to Spain’s interior minister, more than 13,000 migrants have arrived in the Canaries so far in 2024, with hundreds more reported missing. In Mauritania, families have even formed a “national commission” to find the missing migrants. Families who contacted the Associated Press have been anxiously awaiting news of the yacht discovered in Brazil.

Police Inspect Migrant Boat: Getty Images

9 Corpses Found Adrift In Boat Off Brazil Were Likely Migrants From Mauritania And Mali, Police Say

Brazilian federal police say they are still working to identify the victims and determine the cause of death, a challenging process given the advanced state of decomposition they were discovered in.

SOURCE – (AP)