An obscure island grave: fate of deadly EU migration route’s youngest victim

Case of Alhassane Bangoura in Lanzarote highlights Europe-wide failure as authorities struggle to cope with scale of deaths

• Revealed: More than 1,000 unmarked graves discovered along EU migration routes

Stretching less than a metre in length and covered in the ochre-coloured soil that dots the Canary island of Lanzarote, large stones encircle the tiny mound. There is no tombstone or plaque; nothing official to signal that this is the final resting site of the infant believed to be the youngest victim of one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.

Instead, two bouquets of plastic daisies adorn the grave, along with a granite bowl engraved with his name, Alhassane Bangoura, hinting at the impact his story had on many across the island.