On Sunday, during an assistance mission at sea 142 km northwest of Tan-Tan, a Royal Navy patrol boat intercepted a boat carrying 56 candidates for irregular migration, including 55 sub-Saharans and one Cuban, according to a military source quoted by the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP).
The rescued people, who were heading for the Canary Islands, received the necessary treatment on board before being taken to the port of Tan-Tan and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures, the same source added.
Every week, if not every day, a large number of suspected illegal immigrants are rescued by the Moroccan navy.
The distance between Morocco and Spain is only 14 kilometers.
Many would-be immigrants who want to reach Europe see it as a quick gateway.
HA/lb/as/APA