Abdoul Aziz Balde wept as he spoke of his son Idrissa, who vanished after a migrant boat capsized off Morocco.
The Guinean father knows the boat sank, yet no body was found, leaving death an unbearable uncertainty, he told AFP.
Across West Africa, thousands of undocumented migrants have disappeared on dangerous routes toward North Africa and Europe in recent years.
The crisis is especially acute in Guinea, now a major departure point for young people fleeing poverty and limited opportunity.
Migrants vanish suddenly, lost at sea, abandoned in deserts, detained in raids, or silenced by shame after failed journeys.
Families search relentlessly, scanning Facebook pages and WhatsApp videos showing morgues and shipwreck victims, hoping for recognition or closure.
The Guinean Organisation for the Fight Against Irregular Migration estimates thousands are missing, warning at least one in ten never return.
Its director, Elhadj Mohamed Diallo, says the tragedy long remained ignored by governments, civil society, and international institutions.
Idrissa’s parents live in deep poverty, clutching his last smiling selfie while recalling his dream of rescuing his family.
Despite academic promise, Idrissa saw no future in Guinea and repeatedly attempted migration, reaching Morocco several times.
In August, a phone call informed his father that small boats had sunk and passengers drowned, devastating the family.
Global data suggest the toll is vast, with tens of thousands dead or missing across the Mediterranean and African routes.
Researchers warn families suffer severe trauma, compounded by restrictive border policies and widespread indifference to migrant suffering.
Authorities urge caution in declaring migrants dead, citing detention, illness, or silence, yet families demand truth and dignity.
As volunteers trace routes, graves, and prisons worldwide, they insist the missing must not be forgotten.