Morocco rescues 56 sub-Saharan migrants off coast

The Moroccan navy rescued 56 sub-Saharan migrants bound for the Canary Islands on Monday off the Atlantic coast, reported Xinhua, quoting the official news agency MAP on Tuesday.

The boat carrying the migrants was in distress due to "very unfavorable weather conditions" when it was intercepted by a Moroccan navy ship on a maritime patrol mission 37 km southwest of the town of Lagouira, the report said.

The migrants, including a woman and a minor, were all rescued and taken aboard the Moroccan navy ship, according to a press release from the Moroccan Armed Forces.

They received the necessary care before being taken to the port of Dakhla and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures, according to the press release.

Morocco has become a hub for African migrants who seek to reach Europe recently.