The Royal Armed Forces of Morocco have rescued 38 irregular migrants, including a woman and a child, from the Atlantic Ocean off the country’s coast, according to an official statement released on Tuesday.
The Royal Navy intercepted a small boat, or “pirogue,” 170km southwest of Dakhla, which had set sail from Mauritania on 14 October, aiming for the Canary Islands, the navy said in a statement published by the Moroccan News Agency.
After being rescued, the migrants were safely brought to Dakhla’s port, where they received medical care and were handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for administrative procedures.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry announced earlier this year that authorities had thwarted 75,184 irregular migration attempts in 2023, marking a 6% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, more than 419 human trafficking networks were dismantled in 2023, a 44% increase on the previous year.
Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa continue to seek better opportunities in Europe, driven by wars, insecurity, and economic challenges in their home countries.