The Moroccan Navy announced on Tuesday that they had rescued 845 migrants at sea over the course of eight days, with over 400 south of the country. A military source revealed that the Royal Moroccan Navy’s coastguard units provided assistance to 845 undocumented migrants from July 10 to July 17, 2023.
The nationalities of the rescued migrants include individuals from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 400 people were rescued in the national waters south of the kingdom, according to the Moroccan News Agency.
The source pointed out that the rescue operations took place under difficult conditions, involving the recovery of a body and its transportation to the nearest Moroccan port. The undocumented migrants’ journeys involved the use of traditional boats, kayaks, jet skis, and even attempts at swimming across the waters.
The rescued migrants received primary care onboard the Royal Navy units before they were safely transported to the nearest ports in the kingdom. They are expected to be handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for necessary administrative procedures.
These efforts are part of Morocco’s ongoing endeavors to manage the influx of undocumented migrants and provide necessary assistance to ensure their safety and the security of national waters.
With an increasing number of migrants on its soil, Morocco prepared a national strategy for immigration and asylum, which focused in its first phase in 2014 and the second phase in 2016, on resolving their irregular status. It allowed them to obtain residence cards, enabling them to live and work legally in the kingdom
