Morocco’s Navy Rescues 141 Sub-Saharan Migrants Attempting to Cross to Europe

Rabat – The Moroccan Royal Navy rescued 141 sub-Saharan migrants on Sunday, who were attempting to cross to Europe.

The rescue operation occurred around 274 kilometers southwest of Dakhla, off the coast of Morocco.

According to reports from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, the distress call came in after the National Coordination Center and Maritime Rescue received information about a boat in trouble.

The vessel was carrying 141 individuals, including three women and two minors, who were all seeking to irregularly migrate.

The rescue operation lasted fifteen hours as the Royal Navy worked to bring to shore the stranded migrants. The migrants had set sail on the perilous journey from the Mauritanian coast on Saturday, intending to reach the Canary Islands.

Once onshore, the migrants were offered necessary medical treatment before they were transported to the port of Dakhla.

Upon arrival, the migrants were handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie to undergo standard administrative procedures.

Morocco’s coastal guard units continuously foil illegal migration attempts, with many originating from sub-Saharan Africa.

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 outside of regular border crossings.

Frontex reported over 132,300 attempts from January to June, a 10% rise from 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.