Morocco navy 'rescues' nearly 100 seaborne migrants

RABAT - Morocco's navy "rescued" nearly 100 migrants from several boats in the Mediterranean, the country's official MAP news agency reported Thursday.

The navy "rescued, in the night of Wednesday to Thursday, 93 sub-Saharan African migrants who were on board makeshift boats", MAP said.

The migrants, including 15 women and several children, have been "taken safe and sound to the port of Nador" in northeastern Morocco, after receiving care on board navy units, MAP added, citing a military source.

Located in northwestern Africa, the kingdom is a key transit route for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempting to reach Europe.

Around 74,000 attempts to immigrate "irregularly" to Spain were blocked by Moroccan law enforcement in 2019, according to Rabat.