Rabat – On Saturday, Italian authorities rescued 800 migrants from the Mediterranean sea, according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
The migrants were aboard five boats, including two dinghies. The Italian coast guards have also recovered two bodies.
According to Independent.ie, seven children were transferred to a nearby hospital in Sfax, Tunisia in order to receive necessary emergency medical care.
The majority of the rescued migrants are believed to be from sub-Saharan Africa and are fleeing civil unrest.
In 2016, nearly 171,000 asylum seekers arrived in Italy via boats and rafts, according to statistics from the UNHCR.
In recent years, several hundred thousand migrants have traveled to Libya in order to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, including numerous Moroccans who dreamt of crossing to Europe but remain trapped in dire conditions in detention centers across Libya.
In December 2017, several videos taken by detained Moroccans were widely shared on social media, revealing the horrific conditions they faced in Libyan prisons. The trapped migrants cried for help and urged the Moroccan government to take immediate action to bring them back home.Hundreds were eventually repatriated in December following the efforts and intervention by King Mohammad VI.
