Moroccan Navy intercepts more than 60 migrants south of the Kingdom

Moroccan coast guards intercepted more than 60 irregular migrants aboard a rubber boat in a precarious situation south of the kingdom, according to a military source on Friday.

The Moroccan News Agency quoted the source as saying that "a unit belonging to the Royal Navy, as part of its maritime assistance and rescue tasks, intercepted a rubber boat in a precarious condition about 100 kilometers north of Tarfaya (south)."

On board the boat were "67 candidates for illegal migration, including a woman and three minors," according to the same source, all of whom hail from countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The migrants received preliminary medical care on board the unit of the Royal Navy before being transported to the port of Laayoune (Western Sahara).

They were subsequently handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for administrative procedures, which typically involve identifying their identities.

On Tuesday, a similar operation led to the rescue of 56 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa aboard a traditional boat near the coast of Tan-Tan (south).

Since the beginning of June, the southern Moroccan and Western Saharan coasts have witnessed an increase in attempts by irregular migrants, whether coming from sub-Saharan African countries or Moroccans, to cross to the Spanish Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

However, these attempts follow a perilous route due to strong maritime currents and winds, often leading to drowning incidents.

On Monday, the Moroccan Navy recovered the bodies of five migrants, all from Senegal, and rescued 189 others after their boat capsized off the coast of Al-Karkarat in Western Sahara.

At least 13 Senegalese migrants perished in mid-July as their boat sank off the Moroccan coast.

Non-governmental organizations regularly report on the drowning of migrant boats in Moroccan, Spanish, or international waters on the route to the Canary Islands.



AFP