Nine African migrants who perished at sea were laid to rest in a secular ceremony in Brazil

Nine African migrants who were discovered deceased on a boat off Brazil’s northern coast were honored with a secular burial ceremony in Belem. The ceremony, coordinated by various organizations involved in the recovery efforts, including the U.N. Refugee Agency, the Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration, as well as Brazilian authorities such as the police, navy, and civil defense agencies, was conducted with the possibility of future exhumations if families wished to repatriate the bodies.

The bodies, believed to be of Mauritanian and Malian origin, were found by Brazilian fishermen on April 13 aboard a drifting vessel. The boat, approximately 12 meters long, contained 25 raincoats and 27 mobile phones, indicating that the number of passengers may have been higher than initially estimated. Local officials also suspect the presence of individuals of other nationalities among the deceased.

Investigations indicate that the boat likely departed from Mauritania after January 17, with the passengers likely intending to reach Europe via Spain’s Canary Islands. Brazil’s criminology institute in Brasilia is conducting forensic examinations on the remains, collaborating with Interpol and international organizations to obtain conclusive results.

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This tragic event is not isolated, as a recent investigation revealed similar incidents in 2021, with multiple boats from northwest Africa discovered in the Caribbean and Brazil, all carrying deceased individuals. Despite these findings, none of the victims have been identified yet, highlighting the challenges and complexities surrounding migrant journeys and the humanitarian efforts to address such situations.