Morocco: 67 migrants rescued on Atlantic coast

The Royal Moroccan Navy rescued 67 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, including a woman and three minors, on the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.

A military official told the official Maghreb Arabe Press on Friday that the Royal Navy: “Intercepted a dinghy carrying 67 irregular migrants on Thursday, as part of its missions to provide assistance and maritime rescue about 100 kilometres north of Tarfaya (Sahara region).”

The military official, who the agency did not name, explained: “Immediately after they were transferred aboard the unit of the Royal Navy, the rescued people, all of whom were from sub-Saharan Africa, received first aid.”

He added, “After that, they were transferred to the port of Laayoune (in the Sahara region) on Friday and handed over in order to carry out the administrative procedures needed in this regard.”

In June, the Ministry of the Interior announced that Morocco had intercepted 25,519 irregular migration attempts and rescued 3,150 immigrants during the first five months of this year.

Due to its geographical proximity to the European continent, Morocco is one of the crossing points for irregular migrants, especially towards Spain.

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