As many as 50 migrants, many of them Pakistanis, may have drowned in the latest deadly wreck involving people trying to make the crossing from West Africa to Spain's Canary Islands, migrant rights group Walking Borders said on Thursday.

On January 8, Ryanair launched its first-ever service to Western Sahara with Dakhla flights from the Spanish capital. Flightradar24 indicates that the first outbound service took 3h 6m.

Their boat capsized off West Africa's Atlantic coastline, which has emerged as a primary point of departure for migrants aiming to reach Europe. View on euronews

ISLAMABAD (AP) — More than 40 Pakistanis are feared to have drowned in the capsizing of a boat off West Africa's Atlantic coastline, which has emerged as a primary point of departure for migrants aiming to reach Europe. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and stressed the need for strict measures to curb human trafficking.

Algeria's move came in retaliation after Spain in March publicly recognised ... which backs the Polisario movement seeking independence in the Western Sahara, had in August last year broke off ...

A Spain-based migrant rights group, Walking Borders, said that 50 people had died on their way to the Canary Islands and that 44 of them were Pakistanis.

Morocco and Spain's north African exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla moved closer to a "new era" of normalised trade ties on Thursday after the first passage of goods since 2018.

Moroccan authorities in Dakhla expelled three Spanish nationals: a journalist from the daily «Público» and two members of the Coordination of Associations in Solidarity with the Sahara (CEAS). According to a CEAS press release,

Pakistan said that the boat, carrying 80 passengers including some Pakistanis, had set off from Mauritania on their way to the Canary Islands.

The boat with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis on board, left the West African country of Mauritania for Spain’s Canary ... region of Western Sahara. “Several survivors, including Pakistanis, are lodged in a camp near Dakhla. Our embassy in Rabat ...