Guinea-Bissau Halts 168 Migrants at Sea

Guinea-Bissau’s National Guard intercepted 168 Europe-bound migrants in multiple operations across the capital over the last three days.

Authorities stopped a group of 25 young people from Mali, Senegal, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau at a residence on the northern edge of Bissau on Monday morning.

Officials revealed the group planned to travel to the Bijagos Archipelago to stage their final departure for Spain’s Canary Islands.

Guinea-Bissau halts 168 migrants at sea (News Central TV) — Guinea-Bissau halts 168 migrants at sea.  Credit: Reuters

The Monday bust follows a larger raid on Saturday, when officers stopped a rickety pirogue carrying 143 migrants at the Bandim fishing wharf.

National Guard officials attributed the surge in departures from Guinea-Bissau to heightened enforcement along Senegal’s coastline, which is forcing human smugglers to move operations further south into less-monitored territory like Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia.

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Abisoye Adeyiga

Abisoye Adedoyin Adeyiga holds a PhD in Languages and Media Studies and a Master’s in Education (English Language). Trained in digital marketing and investigative journalism, she is passionate about new media’s transformative power. She enjoys reading, traveling, and meaningful conversations.