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At Least 17 Somali Migrants Die After Boat Capsizes Off Algeria
Somalia’s ambassador said parents were searching for missing relatives as authorities reported the migrants drowned on a route often used for Europe crossings.
On Thursday, a boat capsized in waters between Algeria and Spain, leaving at least 17 Somali migrants dead, Somalia's ambassador to Algeria, Yusuf Ahmed Hassan, confirmed.
Somali migrants undertake dangerous journeys to Europe driven by insecurity, limited economic opportunities, and prolonged drought at home; the route between North Africa and Spain commonly involves overcrowded, unseaworthy boats.
After arriving at around 6 a.m. Thursday, Ambassador Yusuf Ahmed Hassan visited two hospitals in the Algerian city of Bou Ismail, identifying the bodies of 12 men and five women.
Distressed parents searching for missing children contacted Hassan, who then reached out to the Algerian Foreign Ministry; however, Algerian authorities have not yet released full details about the tragedy.
Shipwrecks occur frequently along the western Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors, where thousands of migrants risk their lives yearly fleeing conflict, poverty, and climate-related hardships while seeking refuge in Europe.