Moroccan navy rescues 117 migrants in two days

Morocco’s royal navy rescued 117 migrants on May 10-11 on board dinghies, a military source told national news agency MAP.

The migrants were rescued off Morocco’s Mediterranean coast and were taken to the ports of Ksar Sghir and Nador.

Morocco came under pressure as the main gate for migrants looking to reach Europe. So far this year 25,000 migrants were stopped from illegally crossing into Spain.

Last year Morocco thwarted 89,000 migrants including 29,000 rescued at sea. About 80 percent of foiled migration attempts in 2018 in Morocco concerned Sub-Saharans.

Morocco has also launched two campaigns to offer residency permits to some 54,000 migrants granting them access to the job market as well as health and social services.