The bodies of 13 Moroccans were recovered after their boat sank off the country\u2019s southern coast while attempting to reach Spain\u2019s Canary Islands, Moroccan media reported.
\nAccording to international media reports, the 45 passengers on board were attempting to reach the islands\u2019 main city of Las Palmas when their boat hit a rock and sank Friday, \u201c10 minutes after\u201d embarking near the town of Mirleft.
\nTwenty-four people, including a minor, were rescued from the water and the body of one woman was among those recovered.
\nAs per Moroccan media,\u00a0the passengers had used an inflatable boat which was quickly \u201cdamaged and the victims found themselves in the middle of the waves.\u201d
\nLocated at Africa\u2019s northwestern tip, Morocco is a transit country for many migrants, particularly sub-Saharans, seeking to reach Europe from its Atlantic or Mediterranean coasts.
\nAccording to a recent report by the Spanish human rights group Caminando Fronteras (Frontline Defenders), more than 11,200 migrants have died or gone missing while trying to reach Spain since 2018, an average of six per day.
\nThe route between Morocco and the Canary Islands alone accounted for 7,692 of these deaths, the group said.
\nSince late 2019, the number of migrants attempting clandestine crossings along the perilous Atlantic migration route has surged as patrols in the Mediterranean intensified.
\nAs per reports, Spain\u2019s interior ministry said on December 15, 2022 that a total of 27,789 migrants had reached Spanish territory illegally this year, including 15,742 arrivals in the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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