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Rabat – Morocco’s judicial police thwarted early today an attempt of irregular immigration, arresting seven individuals suspected of being linked to criminal networks.
The suspects were arrested at the Saheb El Harcha beach, 30 kilometers from the city of Laayoune by officers of judicial police in the southern city of TanTan and the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) . Six of them are of Moroccan nationality while one of them is a Mauritanian national residing in Morocco.
Police also arrested 22 irregular migrants, according to the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
Search operations lead to the seizure of a rubber dinghy equipped with two engines, as well as fuel containers , two cars, a GPS tracking device, and a satellite phone.
The organizers of the thwarted immigration attempt were taken into custody for investigation before the prosecutor’s office, to identify other people linked to the criminal network.
The operation is part of Morocco’s DGSN and DGST efforts to combat irregular migration and human trafficking.
The North African country has been intensifying efforts to tackle irregular migration and last week held a high-level meeting in Rabat of the Moroccan-Spanish permanent mixed migration group to implement a roadmap to curb the issue that is a top political priority for many European countries.
Many unfortunate people risk their life every day to attempt to enter Europe. On May 9, a ship full of migrants sank taking the life of 28 people. Only 13 people, including a teenager, were rescued from the shipwreck.
According to the survivors, the 41 immigrants had left Laayoune on Sunday night using an inflatable boat.
Another tragic accident took place on May 8 when a boat overturned off the coast of Morocco’s southern city of Boujdour, causing the death of 44 people, with only 12 survivors.
Deaths are unfortunately not uncommon as harsh European immigration laws have left only irregular migration as an option for many seeking a better life in the north. With legal immigration increasingly difficult, Europe’s maritime borders have become the deadliest borders on earth as migrants seek alternative ways to escape conflict or poverty.
Thousands of migrants additionally attempt to cross to Spain by land and sea through Ceuta and Melilla.
After months of deepening tensions, Morocco and Spain have gradually resumed their diplomatic ties, making cooperation on migration issues among their priority.
Read Also: Moroccan-Spanish Joint Declaration: A New Diplomatic Roadmap
