UN reports 144 migrants dead off Mauritania

The UNHCR reports 144 refugees and migrants dead or missing off Mauritania after perilous West Africa-to-Europe sea crossings, with three rescue operations between July 14–18 that saved 387 people. By 2026, about 2,147 individuals have been rescued in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott, while cross-Atlantic migration remains deadly even as overall arrivals to Europe grow more cautious.