In this once thriving village on the edge of the Senegalese capital, Dakar, fishing boats have all but disappeared from the fetid, garbage-strewn beach.

Last year young fishermen were still the lifeblood of this town. Now, scores of them have left to travel 1,500 km across the ocean to Spain's Canary Islands – an effort that inspires both pride and remorse among the mothers who encouraged them to set sail.

"Our husbands are polygamous. The wives are competing with each other to make their sons leave. The first who manages to send him off is considered the most successful wife," said Abi Samb, vice president of a local women’s group that is trying to stop illegal migration.

Lost at sea

Thiaroye-sur-Mer is among the Senegalese fishing villages worst affected by the country’s recent migration fever. More than 27,000 West African migrants have reached the Canary Islands this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), while countless others have drowned or died from hunger or exhaustion.

Already familiar with the sea, scores of young men from Thiaroye-sur-Mer didn't think twice when they found out it was possible to sail to Europe in a fishing boat. They sold their fishing equipment, their nets, and thus their livelihoods, and bought a seat on a boat.

Many went with the encouragement of their mothers. The most valuable gift a son can give his mother is a ticket to Mecca - or part of his wages from Europe.

But maternal blessing for the ocean voyages has ceased, at least in Thiaroye-sur-Mer. The bitter experience of having their sons forever swallowed up by the sea - one woman says she lost four sons – galvanised the women to act.

Getting help

The women recently invited an Islamic leader to speak out against illegal migration. He told the villagers that boarding a flimsy fishing boat is paramount to suicide - one of the worst sins in the Koran.

In their resolve to stop young men from leaving, the women have found an ally in the Spanish Red Cross, which is actively involved in the migration issue.

To counter the numerous success stories circulating about illegal migrants - the tales of failure are hardly ever told - the aid agency is setting up a national awareness campaign to show the grim reality of illegal migration, said country delegate Sigfrid Soler in Dakar.

The organisation is considering involving the women of Thiaroye-sur-Mer, popular traditional wrestlers and football players in the campaign, and plans to send teams to neighbourhoods to raise awareness about the dangers of the journey to the Canary Islands.

Senegalese suffer losses

Most Africans leaving for the Canary Islands are better equipped than the first batches of illegal migrants who set sail earlier this year. Now they bring sun cream, fruit juice, and even life jackets to survive the dangerous journey.

Although many are more aware of the risks, they have many misconceptions about what awaits them in Europe, said Soler.

"The stories that are being told are just amazing. They think they'll be put up in a nice hotel, get free food and be offered a legal job. We won't try to convince people not to leave. We'll even explain to them how to apply for a visa. But we also want to tell them the truth," he said.

Many of those who have been repatriated or failed to reach the Canaries are worse off than before, having sold their possessions or spent all of their savings to finance their trip. A seat on a large fishing boat costs up to 600,000 CFA francs (US $ 1,100), or six times the average monthly wage.

"A lot of these guys are a burden for their families because they have nothing left. And they are so negative and depressed that the only thing they can think of is leaving again," Soler said.

In Thiaroye-sur-Mer, many returnees spend the day brooding over ways to make money.

"They are just sitting at home doing nothing and we are worried that they might turn to crime," Samb said.

As she was talking, a woman in traditional dress stepped into the sun-baked courtyard and told her something in the local Wolof-language. Samb's sullen face broke out in a smile.

"She told me she just got a call from her son. She hadn't heard from him in a month. He safely arrived on the Canary Islands and is being held in a camp. He will be back soon," said Samb, visibly relieved.

Migration wins

Yet like many Senegalese, the mothers of Thiaroye-sur-Mer find themselves torn over the issue of illegal migration, knowing the dangers on the one hand, while on the other perceiving it as the only way out of poverty.

Samb is one of the lucky ones: her son made it to Italy six years ago and sends her money each month. But he hasn't yet built her a nice home like the gleaming, one-storey villa next door, which is known throughout the village as 'the emigrant's house', she said with a sigh of envy.

Back in Dakar, Soler of the Red Cross paused to think when asked if more development aid could stop migration.

"In the short term, no. In the long term, maybe," he said.

"The problem is that even people who have a decent life want to leave,” he said. “Most of them don't think the quality of life in Europe is better. They go with the intention of making a bit of money, coming back and having a life with some dignity. As long as they can't have that at home, emigration to Europe will be a problem for years to come."