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Migration from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands has spiked since the beginning of the year and has been a cause of concern for Spain and other West European countries
The Moroccan navy said it intercepted 141 people attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Migration from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands has spiked since the beginning of the year and has been a cause of concern for Spain and other West European countries.
Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces said in a statement Sunday it was able to rescue all passengers on a boat off the coast of the Western Sahara. The region is a disputed territory with a coastline that Morocco has controlled since 1975. Morocco said that the 141 people came from sub-Saharan Africa and likely embarked more than a week earlier from Mauritania — Morocco’s southern neighbor. Morocco is the primary point of departure for migrants attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.
The interception was the largest that Moroccan authorities have reported this year. The Canary Islands are roughly 62 miles (100 km.) from Morocco’s Atlantic coast. The journey in the unsafe rickety wooden vessels used for trafficking migrants often takes 10 days to reach the destination.
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Spain’s Interior Ministry reported 11,704 migrants had arrived in the Canaries as of February 15. Which is more than a sixfold increase from a year earlier. The majority have departed from Mauritania. Importantly, Mauritania recently signed a 210–million–euro agreement with the European Union that included funding for migration patrolling and humanitarian aid.
