2023-07-23 01:00:24
They had joined a boat which seemed to be aiming for Spain. Six would-be immigrants drowned on Friday while attempting to cross the coast of Morocco’s Nador province, local authorities said on Saturday.
About 54 irregular migrants, including a person of Tunisian nationality, tried to swim to a zodiac near the beach of El Kallat, in the town of Iaazzanene, near the city of Nador, located opposite Spain, said these authorities.
But poor weather conditions in the Mediterranean, rough seas and the smuggler’s inability to maneuver after his boat ran aground on rocks resulted in the death of six passengers by drowning, while 48 others managed to reach shore, the same source added.
Other migrants landed in Spain
Local authorities, gendarmes and Civil Protection agents, accompanied by medical teams, provided first aid to the survivors and recovered the bodies. An investigation has been opened.
According to the local branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) in Nador, the six deceased migrants are Moroccans. The nationality of the victims has not been confirmed by the authorities.
In addition, another group of migrants, made up of 40 young men from Nador, landed on the Spanish coast on Saturday, AMDH said on its Facebook page.
Attempts in kayaks and swimming
Crossings from the northern coasts of Morocco are often made on board high-speed inflatable boats which are also used for drug smuggling operations. Migrants also set sail in makeshift boats, kayaks, canoes, jet skis and even by swimming.
Attempts to migrate from the coast of northwest Africa and the coasts of Morocco and Western Sahara to Europe have increased since the beginning of June. The Moroccan navy announced this week that it had rescued nearly 900 irregular migrants during the period from July 10 to 17, mostly of sub-Saharan origin.
NGOs regularly report deadly shipwrecks (the unofficial tolls of which, according to them, amount to tens, if not hundreds of deaths) in Moroccan, Spanish or international waters. Moroccan authorities say they have foiled 26,000 irregular emigration attempts in the first five months of 2023.
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