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Rabat – A Royal Navy frigate in the Atlantic Ocean thwarted an attempted migration of 44 Sub-Saharan individuals, including two minors, to Europe.
The operation, which took place 90 kilometers off the military port of Dakhla, intercepted the migrants as they were attempting to reach the Canary Islands.
The interception, occurring on Saturday, involved a canoe attempting to reach the Canary Islands, according to a statement released by the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces.
The Royal Navy frigate, which had been engaged in a routine maritime patrol mission, spotted the canoe and intervened to ensure the safety of those aboard.
Upon interception, the rescued individuals received the necessary medical attention before being transported to the port of Dakhla.
Authorities handed over the migrants to the Royal Gendarmerie to undergo standard administrative procedures.
The interception is part of Morocco’s border efforts to combat illegal migration in the Mediterranean amid a surge in attempts.
According to the EU’s Frontex border and coast guard agency, the first half of 2023 saw a substantial increase in unauthorized attempts to enter the EU from outside regular border crossings.
Frontex reported 132,370 attempts to enter the EU outside established borders from January to June, a 10% rise compared to the same period in 2022.
Crossings in the central Mediterranean have especially spiked by over a third, with arrivals from Tunisia to Italy accounting for half of the overall numbers.
Read Also: Moroccan Royal Navy Rescues 62 Irregular Migrants
