The intervention of the Royal Moroccan Navy to rescue migrants in distress off the coast of Dakhla has resulted in the rescue of 200 passengers originally bound for the Canary Islands.
The Royal Moroccan Navy rescued 46 Senegalese nationals, including two women from among 160 suspected irregular migrants off the coast of Dakhla. The pirogue carrying them had capsized, the Senegalese consulate general in Dakhla said, citing several sources.
The survivors said the vessel left The Gambia on July 2 with nearly 200 passengers bound for the Canary Islands.
The survivors were taken to the Argoub reception center, 90 kilometers south of Dakhla. Among them, a dozen sick and injured people were taken care of by Moroccan health authorities, according to the Senegalese Consulate General.
The Senegalese diplomatic mission assured those rescued that it would provide assistance and protection to the survivors, while working to repatriate them as soon as possible.
The consulate also noted that no Senegalese pirogue had arrived in Morocco since June 14.
However, as a transit and destination country for many migrants, Morocco has invested heavily in the management of migration flows and the protection of migrants’ rights.
A number of organisations have praised the country’s humanist and supportive migration policy, which aims to provide migrants with dignified living conditions and to combat human trafficking networks.
To cope with this unstoppable flow of migrants, Morocco has stepped up its cooperation with countries of origin and transit, as well as with international organisations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
This cooperation aims to improve the management of migratory flows, protect the rights of migrants and address the root causes of irregular migration.
At the same time, Morocco is investing in the economic and social development of regions affected by migration.
These investments aim to create economic opportunities and improve living conditions for the local population, thereby reducing the factors that drive irregular migration.
Vocational training, entrepreneurship support and rural development programs have been established to provide viable alternatives to migration.
MN/ac/lb/as/APA