Royal Navy Thwarts Migrant Voyage to Canary Islands
In a recent incident, the Royal Navy of Morocco successfully intercepted a small inflatable boat carrying 53 migrants near Tan-Tan, as reported by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. The overcrowded vessel, located 55 km north of the port city, was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands when it was halted by a Moroccan naval ship.
Comprising 47 sub-Saharan Africans and 6 Moroccans, the migrants had set out in the perilous attempt to reach European shores. The Royal Navy promptly provided assistance on board their vessel before transferring both the boat and its occupants to Morocco's Royal Gendarmerie. Administrative procedures for the migrants, who undertook the hazardous Atlantic crossing, will now commence.
The surge in irregular migration from Morocco to Spain's Canary Islands in recent years has drawn attention. The Spanish archipelago, situated off the coast of Western Sahara, has become an increasingly attractive destination for migrants seeking entry into Europe. However, the journey is fraught with peril, as evidenced by a tragic incident earlier this month when at least 18 migrants lost their lives in a capsized boat while attempting to reach the islands.
This year alone, Moroccan authorities have intercepted over 37,000 migrants attempting to leave the country illegally. Despite the inherent risks, many migrants perceive the Canaries route as comparatively safer than the one across the Mediterranean to mainland Spain. As individuals continue to risk their lives at sea, naval interceptions are anticipated to persist as a common occurrence.
Lire aussi
Latest News
- Ayer 17:30 Parliamentary diplomacy: a key lever in Morocco-France relations
- Ayer 17:00 French surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec faces historic trial for child sexual abuse
- Ayer 16:30 Catalonia Secures Partial Debt Relief Agreement with the Spanish Government
- Ayer 16:02 Morocco receives first Apache AH-64E helicopters in strategic military upgrade
- Ayer 15:33 U.S. Agencies Defy Musk’s Directive Amid Tensions Over Federal Staff Cuts
- Ayer 15:03 UN chief warns of escalating violence in West Bank
- Ayer 14:32 Ahmed Zainoun wins the “Arab Hope Makers” award for his work with children affected by xeroderma pigmentosum