At least 56 migrants died in shipwrecks over the weekend off the coasts of Senegal and Greece, according to the International Organization for Migration.

“These were mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, people who left home hoping for a better life,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. "Smugglers and traffickers charged them for a dangerous journey on boats that were not fit for the sea. These networks profit from desperation, and every day they operate, more lives are put at risk."

Pope called on countries to pursue the networks together and to provide safe, legal ways to move. “Our hearts are with every family waiting for news,” she said.

Capsized off Senegal

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.

One survivor was rescued and an unknown number of people remain missing, according to Senegalese authorities and public reports. Search operations are continuing, and the death toll remains provisional.

Two incidents south of Crete

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.

In one, Greek authorities rescued 28 Sudanese migrants and recovered eight bodies, with several people reported missing. In the other, 18 survivors were rescued and 14 bodies recovered after a cargo ship spotted the vessel in distress.

Rising arrivals on the eastern Libya–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, IOM said.

Deadly routes

On the Western African Atlantic Route alone, IOM has recorded at least 454 deaths and disappearances so far this year, as of 26 October. These are minimum estimates, as many boats disappear without survivors or trace.

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.

IOM 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
  • expanded safe and regular migration pathways