Senegalese farmer Mouhamed Oualy has never experienced the sea, but he is preparing for a dangerous journey across the Atlantic Ocean – a route that has tragically become a mass grave.
“The boat guys have contacted me and told me to be ready. I ask for your prayers – the time has come,” he says.
BBC Africa Eye has been granted extraordinary access to the secretive world of migrants seeking to reach Europe through the perilous crossing between West Africa and Spain’s Canary Islands.
And Mr Oualy is determined to be one of the migrants reaching the archipelago – even though the numbers have surged to an all-time high.
The local government warns that the system on the rocky shores of the archipelago is “overwhelmed” and “at breaking point” – but Mr Oualy’s resolve remains unshaken.
Squeezed onto a crowded pirogue, a traditional wooden fishing canoe, Mr Oualy could face days, or even weeks, at the mercy of one of the most unforgiving seas globally.
From Senegal, the estimated distance to the open ocean is between 1,000km (600 miles) and 2,000km, depending on the departure point, which is around 10 times longer than other migrant routes through the Mediterranean.
Struggling through the ocean’s storms and powerful currents, migrants often run out of water, suffer from severe motion sickness, and intense fear.
During the night, surrounded by dark waters, individuals can become delirious, overwhelmed by panic, and dehydration.
The number of migrants who have arrived in El Hierro since the beginning of 2023 has more than doubled the island’s population [BBC].
Far from the coast, in Senegal’s eastern Tambacounda region, Mr Oualy’s children and extended family rely on the little income he earned from farming.
The 40-year-old has not seen them for almost a year, after relocating closer to one of the major departure points along the coast.
There, he has been working as a motorbike taxi driver and borrowing money from friends to gather the $1,000 (£765) fee to board one of the vessels bound for the Canary Islands.
Fearing he might be deceived, he has made an agreement with the smugglers to hand over the full amount only if the boat successfully completes the journey.
“No one knows what might happen to me in these waters. The evil spirits of the sea could take my life,” he tells the BBC from the safety of the beach.
“The boat could capsize, taking everyone with it. If you fall into the water, what can you hold on to? The only option is death, but risks must be taken.”
Several boats have vanished with hundreds of lives on board. Without proper navigation systems, some drift off course and end up washing ashore in Brazil after crossing the Atlantic.
If Mr Oualy survives the journey, he hopes to support his extended family financially, but he is keeping his plans secret to prevent worrying them.
[BBC]
Dark Waters: Africa’s Most Dangerous Migration Route – BBC Africa Eye investigates the treacherous Atlantic journey from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands.
Find it on iPlayer (UK only) or on the BBC Africa YouTube channel (outside the UK)
[BBC]
Despite Senegal’s solid economic performance over the past decade, more than a third of the population still lives in poverty, according to the World Bank.
“I took on every job imaginable, but things didn’t improve. If you lack money, you’re insignificant. I am their only hope, and I don’t have money,” he says.
Like Mr Oualy, most migrants on this route are sub-Saharan Africans fleeing poverty and conflict, exacerbated by climate change.
The Canary Islands have become a primary entry point for irregular migrants and refugees seeking to reach Europe, especially after measures were implemented in countries like Italy and Greece to crack down on other Mediterranean routes from Libya and Tunisia.
Almost 40,000 arrivals were recorded in 2023, the highest number in three decades. So far this year, over 30,800 have reached its tourist beaches, more than double the number from the same period last year.
As weather conditions improve in the Atlantic, the Canary Islands government fears that “the worst” is yet to come.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Africa Eye, Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands government, described an “overwhelmed” emergency system where sea rescuers, police, and Red Cross volunteers are stretched thin.
“Every 45 minutes, a migrant dies trying to reach our beaches. This means trafficking mafias are increasingly becoming more powerful.””, Source: Fernando Clavijo, Source description: President of the Canary Islands, Image: Fernando Clavijo
“The consequence is that more people will die, we won’t be able to assist migrants as they deserve,” explains Mr Clavijo.
“Right now, Europe has the Mediterranean Sea blocked, which means that the Atlantic route, which is more dangerous and lethal, has become the escape valve.”
The BBC spoke to members of Spain’s emergency services, who asked to remain anonymous as they described their exhaustion.
One said: “Workers can’t bear witnessing death and devastation any longer.”
In El Hierro, the archipelago’s smallest island, the number of migrants who have arrived since the start of 2023 has already more than doubled the local population to nearly 30,000.
Mr Clavijo says locals cannot use public buses because they are all being used to carry migrants, which he fears could fuel xenophobia and create social unrest.
“We will all have to take responsibility, from the European Union to the Spanish government, because you cannot leave the Canary Islands facing this crisis on our own.”
In recent months, the sharp rise in arrivals has fueled a fierce national debate in Spain over how to tackle irregular migration, with the Canaries calling for more state aid to care for those arriving, especially unaccompanied children.
Back in Senegal, Mr Oualy has finally been summoned by the smugglers to join other migrants in a secret hideout. His fate is now in their hands.
“There are a lot of us, we’ve filled the house. There are people from Mali and Guinea too.
Nos llevan en pequeñas embarcaciones de 10 a 15 personas hasta llegar al barco grande, luego nos vamos,” dice.
Para sobrevivir al largo viaje, el Sr. Oualy solo ha llevado unas cuantas botellas de agua y un puñado de galletas.
Los primeros dos días está constantemente enfermo. Se levanta la mayor parte del tiempo debido a la falta de espacio y duerme en agua de mar mezclada con combustible.
También se queda sin agua y tiene que beber del mar.
Algunas personas en el barco comienzan a gritar y volverse delirantes. La tripulación le dice a los demás que los sujeten, para que no se caigan por la borda o empujen a alguien más.
Según datos del organismo de migración de las Naciones Unidas (OIM), la ruta del Atlántico está convirtiéndose rápidamente en el viaje de migrantes más mortal del mundo.
Se estima que 807 personas han muerto o desaparecido hasta ahora en 2024, un aumento del 76% en comparación con el mismo período del año pasado.
Pero el número de víctimas probablemente sea significativamente mayor, porque los accidentes mortales tienden a no registrarse en esta ruta.
“Cada 45 minutos, un migrante muere tratando de llegar a nuestras playas. Esto significa que las mafias de tráfico están volviéndose cada vez más poderosas,” dice el Sr. Clavijo, citando datos obtenidos del grupo de derechos españoles Walking Borders.
La Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito estima que los criminales ganan alrededor de $150 millones al año en esta ruta.
“Las mafias que organizan los viajes se han dado cuenta de que esto es como el tráfico de drogas, con poca probabilidad de ser detectado,” dice el teniente Antonio Fuentes, de un equipo de la Guardia Civil de España creado para combatir a los contrabandistas, a la BBC.
“Para ellos, un migrante es una mera mercancía. Llevan a las personas como podrían llevar drogas o armas. Simplemente son víctimas.”
[BBC]
Para comprender mejor estas redes criminales, la BBC habló con un contrabandista senegalés que organiza viajes en barco, quien pidió permanecer en el anonimato.
“Si tomas un barco grande, uno que pueda llevar de 200 a 300 personas, y cada uno paga alrededor de $500, estamos hablando de mucho dinero,” dice.
Cuando se le cuestiona sobre su responsabilidad criminal como traficante, en un viaje que ha matado a muchos en su comunidad, el contrabandista no se arrepiente y le dice a la BBC: “Es un crimen, quien sea atrapado debería ser encarcelado, pero no hay solución.
“Verás personas en el agua que han muerto, pero los barcos siguen adelante.”
Por cinco días, la BBC no recibe noticias del Sr. Oualy. Luego, una noche, él llama.
“El motor se estaba calentando y el viento era tan fuerte, que algunos pescadores sugirieron que fuéramos a Marruecos. Pero el capitán se negó. Dijo que si avanzábamos lentamente, estaríamos en España para las 6am.”
El Sr. Oualy estaba a menos de un día de llegar a las Islas Canarias cuando el motor del barco tuvo problemas, y muchos de los migrantes, temerosos de vientos más fuertes una vez que se adentraran más en el Océano Atlántico, se rebelaron contra su capitán.
“Todos comenzaron a discutir e insultarse. El capitán cedió y regresó a Senegal.”
“Si muero, es elección de Dios””, Fuente: Mouhamed Oualy, Descripción de la fuente: Agricultor senegalés, Imagen: Mouhamed Oualy
El Sr. Oualy sobrevivió al viaje, pero sufrió lesiones y graves problemas de salud por el viaje.
Está en constante dolor y se mueve lentamente.
Después de un año planeando el viaje, el Sr. Oualy está de vuelta al punto de partida, y ahora ha regresado con su familia y está ahorrando lo suficiente para otro pasaje.
“Deseo volver e intentarlo de nuevo. Sí, honestamente, eso es lo que creo. Eso es mejor para mí. Si muero, es elección de Dios.”
Si el Sr. Oualy logra llegar a Europa, es probable que no vea a su familia durante años. Si muere en el mar, los perderá para siempre.
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[Getty Images/BBC]
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