Moroccan Coast Guard Rescues 195 Migrants from Sinking Vessel – Reports

MOSCOW, July 21 (Sputnik) – The Moroccan coast guard has rescued 195 migrants from a sinking vessel that was heading to the Canary Islands, Moroccan media reported.

A patrol ship rescued migrants about 157 kilometers northwest of the city of Dakhla, the Morocco World News portal reported on Saturday, adding that among those rescued, the coast guard found one dead person.

In June 2023, the Moroccan Interior Ministry reportedly said that over the past five years, the country’s forces prevented a total of 366,000 migrants from reaching Europe.

Over 5,000 migrants have died in the first five months of 2024 while trying to reach Spain by sea, which equals 33 deaths per day, Caminando Fronteras, a migrants’ rights group, said in June. Of them, 4,800 died trying to reach the Canary Islands.

Large groups of irregular migrants regularly attempt to cross Spain’s southern and island borders. The Spanish Interior Ministry said that nearly 20,000 irregular immigrants had arrived in the country since the beginning of 2024 to June 30, which is a 167% increase compared with the same period last year.