Gambia Boat Fire: 101 Migrants Rescued, Including Five Minors

November 8, 2026

Banjul: A total of 101 migrants were rescued off Sika and Albreda in The Gambia after their boat caught fire, the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) said in a statement.

The rescue operation was jointly carried out by the GID’s migration management and border patrol units in Barra, the Gambia Red Cross Society, the Gambia Fire and Rescue Services and the Gambia Navy.

According to the statement, the rescued migrants included 72 Senegalese, 27 Gambians and two Guineans. All 101 were male, including five minors.

At the time of the statement, 14 rescued migrants were receiving treatment at Essau Health Center. Two others had been treated and discharged from Albreda Health Center and were assisting investigators.

Earlier Migrant Boat Accidents in Europe

In a separate incident on September 28, three migrants died after a taxi-boat sank off the coast of northern France, according to local media reports.

French broadcaster France Info reported that 105 people were aboard the boat near Wissant in the Pas-de-Calais department when the incident occurred. A provisional toll put the number of deaths at three, while four others sustained minor injuries.

Boats used by migrant smugglers to cross the English Channel have grown larger in recent years. Their average capacity increased from 26 people in 2021 to 65 since the beginning of 2026, according to France Info, citing the maritime prefecture.

Small-boat crossings by migrants across the English Channel have become a major issue in relations between Britain and France.

According to Sky News, 781 migrants arrived in Britain after crossing the Channel in small boats on September 23, marking the highest number of such arrivals in a single day so far this year.

50 Migrants Rescued Off Libyan Coast in August

In another incident in August, 50 migrants were rescued and the bodies of seven others were recovered by a humanitarian vessel operated by Italian non-governmental organisation Emergency in international waters off the Libyan coast.

The organisation said its vessel found the migrants aboard a two-deck wooden boat and carried out the rescue, transferring the survivors onto its own vessel.

It did not disclose the nationalities of the migrants or provide further details about the circumstances of the incident.

Libya remains a major departure point for migrants attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean. Boat accidents frequently occur off its coast, leaving people dead or missing.