RABAT, Aug 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Moroccan navy has picked up more than 400 migrants trying to reach Spain and returned them to the North African country.
Some of those taken ashore were “in a state of poor health” and received
first aid aboard Moroccan coastguard vessels, before being taken to ports in
the north of the country, a military source said.
The majority of the 424 people were from sub-Saharan Africa. Sixteen children and 53 women were among the migrants, who were in several
boats.
The number of migrants reaching Spain by sea has dropped by around 30
percent, the United Nations’ migration agency says.
In the first half of this year, 10,475 reached the country, compared to
15,075 during the same period in 2018, according to figures from the
International Organization for Migration.
More than 200 people died during the journey or were reported missing at
sea in the first six months of 2019.
Aiming to halt the arrival of migrants, the European Union last year gave
Morocco 140 million euros to support efforts to curb people smugglers and irregular migration.
Morocco says it stopped 89,000 “attempts at illegal immigration” last
year, 29,000 of which were people trying to make a sea crossing. — NNN-AGENCIES
