rki.news | Sources: Anadolu
CEUTA, July 30: Hundreds of migrants attempted to swim from Morocco to the Spanish city of Ceuta in North Africa, as the number of arrivals exceeded 1,500 in just over a week.
Most migrants trying to cross the waters were intercepted by Moroccan patrol boats on Wednesday, while Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service and the Spanish Red Cross rescued 117 people from the sea.
The Spanish Civil Guard also assisted around 200 others using patrol boats during the rescue operation. Authorities said the exact number of people involved was still being verified, but many were believed to be young adults aged between 18 and 30, along with several minors.
The Civil Guard recovered two bodies from the sea, bringing the number of deaths along Ceuta’s coastline this year to 29. Ten of those deaths were recorded in July, including six since the latest migration surge began on Saturday.
Local authorities reported that more than 1,500 migrants have reached Ceuta by sea within slightly over a week, highlighting continued migration pressure on Spain’s North African territory.