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Not less than 44 migrants drowned on Sunday when their boat capsized off the coast of the Western Sahara, migrant support company Caminando Fronteras stated.
Twelve others survived the tragedy, which occurred when the boat sunk off the coast of Cap Boujdour, the company’s Helena Maleno tweeted.
The survivors have been arrested, Maleno wrote.
The our bodies of seven victims have been introduced again to shore however the others couldn’t be retrieved, she added.
There was no instant affirmation from authorities in Morocco, which sees the disputed Western Sahara as an integral a part of the North African kingdom.
It was not clear the place the boat was heading, however normally migrants leaving from that space attempt to attain Spain’s Canary Islands.
Morocco is a key transit level on routes taken by migrants hoping for higher lives in Europe.
On Friday, Morocco and Spain stated in a joint assertion they have been dedicated to strengthening cooperation on irregular migration.
Greater than 14,700 tried irregular departures have been prevented and 52 human smuggling networks damaged up in Morocco in the course of the first three months of this yr, in keeping with inside ministry figures.
Moroccan authorities stopped greater than 63,120 crossings final yr and shut down 256 smuggling networks.
In line with the Spanish inside ministry, greater than 40,000 migrants arrived within the nation by sea in 2021.
That very same yr, in keeping with Caminando Fronteras, 4,404 migrants died or went lacking as they tried to succeed in Spain.
