Moroccan navy said it intercepted about 141 people attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean as migration from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands has been stopped by Morrocco navy.
The country’s Royal Armed Forces, in a statement over the weekend, said they rescue passengers on a boat on the coast of Western Sahara, an area that has caused conflicts despite Morocco hold of the forth since 1975.
The 141 people came from sub-Saharan Africa and have been on board more than seven days from Morocco’s southern neighbor and the primary point of departure for migrants attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands – Mauritius.
The process top the list of casualties reported this year.
Spain’s Interior Ministry reported 11,704 migrants had arrived to the Canaries as of Feb. 15 — more than a sixfold increase from a year earlier. The majority have departed from Mauritania, which recently signed a 210 million euro agreement with the European Union that included funding for migration patrolling and humanitarian aid.
