Eleven migrants die in shipwreck off Morocco

Eleven migrants drowned after their makeshift boat sank off Morocco, local media said on Saturday.

The drama took place off the White Beach, near Guelmim, in the south of the kingdom.

Among the victims are "

of Alyaoum24 information.

A migrant on board the capsized boat was rescued, the same source said.

It was not possible to obtain immediate confirmation of the sinking from the Moroccan authorities.

An investigation has been opened to elucidate “

”, underlined the Hespress news site, specifying that these migrants were heading for the Canary Islands (Spain).

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Located at the northwestern tip of Africa, Morocco is a transit country for many migrants, particularly sub-Saharans, who seek to reach Europe from its Atlantic or Mediterranean coasts.

According to a report by the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, published in December, more than 11,200 migrants have died or disappeared since 2018 trying to reach Spain, an average of six per day.

The route between the northwest coast of Africa and the Canary Islands alone accounts for 7,692 dead migrants, according to the NGO.

Mafias and human trafficking

From late 2019, the number of migrants attempting the clandestine crossing through the perilous Atlantic migration route surged as coastguard patrols in the Mediterranean intensified.

However, in 2022, illegal immigration fell by more than 25% in Spain over one year, a particularly marked decrease in arrivals by sea, the Spanish Interior Ministry said in January.

“

” in illegal arrivals concerned the Canary Islands: 15,682 against 22,316 in 2021, or 29.7% less.

The ministry explained this decline by the increase in its cooperation with the countries of origin and transit of immigration and the strengthening of “

”.

This cooperation was favored by the end last year of a diplomatic quarrel between Spain and Morocco, on the thorny issue of Western Sahara.