Tragic Journey: Bodies of Nine African Migrants Laid to Rest in Brazil's Amazon Region

With a solemn ceremony, the bodies of nine migrants found on a drifting boat off Brazil's northern coast have been buried in the Para state capital of Belem. The deceased, believed to be from Mali and Mauritania, embarked on a perilous journey seeking a better life but succumbed to the harsh realities of their treacherous voyage.

In a somber ceremony, the remains of nine African migrants were laid to rest in the Para state capital of Belem, Brazil, on Thursday. The migrants, whose bodies were discovered in an abandoned boat off the northern coast of Brazil's Amazon region, were buried in a secular ceremony organized by various humanitarian organizations, Brazilian police, navy, and civil defense agencies.

Fishermen off the coast of Para discovered the boat adrift on April 13, carrying the bodies that were already decomposing. Documents found in the vessel indicated the victims were migrants from Mali and Mauritania, and that the boat had departed the latter country after January 17.

The deceased's roughly 12-meter (39-foot) boat carried 25 raincoats and 27 mobile phones, suggesting the original number of passengers was significantly higher. This also implies that people of other nationalities may have been among the deceased.

When the boat was found, it had neither motor, tiller, nor rudder. Its canoe shape is similar to Mauritanian fishing boats often used by migrants fleeing West Africa and aiming to enter the European Union via Spain's Canary Islands.

An Associated Press investigation published last year revealed that in 2021 at least seven boats from northwest Africa were found in the Caribbean and Brazil, all carrying dead bodies.

So far, none of the victims have been identified. Authorities said the manner of their burial would allow for subsequent exhumations in case families of the deceased were located and wished to transfer the bodies back to their home countries.

Unfortunately, this year has seen a 500% spike in the number of people attempting the dangerous crossing from the northwest coast of Africa to the EU, with the majority departing from Mauritania. The route is treacherous, with strong Atlantic winds and unpredictable currents that can sweep boats off course.

Bachirou Saw of Mauritania, who buried one of his nephews earlier this year after his crossing ended tragically in the Canary Islands, is still searching for another missing nephew. He has joined a commission to search for loved ones and has counted at least 1,500 missing Mauritanians, Malians, and Senegalese in the last six months alone.

Saw receives messages every day from families looking for their loved ones. Desperate relatives have organized trips to Morocco and the Canary Islands to search prisons and morgues, but many have been left with no answers.

The reasons pushing people toward such dangerous journeys are varied and intertwined: a lack of jobs and prospects for a better life, impacts of climate change, growing insecurity, and political instability. More than 14,000 African migrants have reached the Canary Islands so far this year, seeking a better future in Europe.

In February, the EU and Mauritania signed a 210 million euro ($225 million) deal aimed at cracking down on people smuggling and deterring migrant boats. However, the flow of desperate migrants continues, leaving families in agony and highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of this humanitarian crisis.