Morocco intercepts 49 irregular migrants off Tarfaya coast

By Khalid Mejdoup

RABAT, Morocco (AA) – The Moroccan military said on Thursday that the navy had intercepted 49 irregular migrants off the coast of Tarfaya in the southern Sahara region of the Atlantic Ocean.

According to a statement posted on Facebook by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, a navy unit intercepted 49 irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan African countries on a rubber boat near Tarfaya port.

The irregular migrants were given medical care before being transported to Tarfaya Port and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie "for further administrative procedures," the statement said.

On January 23, the Interior Ministry reported halting 75,184 irregular migration attempts, a 6% increase over 2022, and dismantling over 419 human trafficking networks, a 44% rise from the previous year.

Migration attempts from Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe are increasing due to ongoing conflicts, insecurity, and economic difficulties in the migrants' home countries.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio