At least 21 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Senegal, authorities say

At least 21 people have died after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Senegal, authorities announced.

In a statement on Sunday, the Senegalese interior ministry said the pirogue came into difficulty off Kébémer in the northwest of the country.

Search and rescue operations are underway, and one survivor has been found so far, the ministry said.

"On behalf of the president of the Republic and the government, the minister for the interior and public security pays tribute to the memory of the victims and offers his sincere condolences to the bereaved families," the statement added.

The government also reasserted its "determination to combat people-smuggling networks" and said it would work with neighbouring countries to address the issue.

The United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) says the dangerous Atlantic Route is a key pathway for West African migrants travelling to Europe.

Increasing controls in traditional migrant departure spots in Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania have pushed some seeking to reach Europe further south, towards countries such as The Gambia.

"These alternative departure points can add up to 750 kilometres to the crossing, extending some journeys to approximately 2,200 kilometres and exposing people to longer periods at sea, more remote and less monitored coastlines, and greater risks of shipwreck, dehydration and disappearance," the IOM has said.