The Royal Moroccan Navy announced on Tuesday that it had intercepted a boat carrying 189 would-be irregular migrants off the coast of Dakhla in southern Morocco on Monday, February 23, 2026.
The individuals on board, whose nationalities were not specified, were attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago, according to an official statement.
Those intercepted, described as nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, received initial medical assistance on board for those who were ill before being transferred to the Port of Dakhla, the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces said in a statement.
The migrants were subsequently handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the standard administrative procedures, the same source added.
Morocco has become a major country of transit and, increasingly, destination for sub-Saharan migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea.
Nearly 80,000 migrants were prevented from reaching the European Union from Morocco in 2024, representing a 4.6 per cent increase compared with 2023, according to official figures.
Departures of irregular migrants take place primarily from southern cities such as Dakhla and Laâyoune toward the Canary Islands or from northern points including Ceuta and Melilla.
AK/lb/gik/APA