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February 23, 2021

Moroccan navy rescues 59 African migrants off Al Hoceima coast

Moroccan navy rescues 59 African migrants off Al Hoceima coast

African migrants from the Nigeria wait at Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport prior to being repatriated to their homeland under a voluntary repatriation program coordinated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on March 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO

African migrants

Moroccan Navy on Monday rescued 59 sub-Saharan African migrants off the North African country’s Mediterranean coast of Al Hoceima, official news agency MAP reported.

The 59 were rescued from an overloaded inflatable boat, including 33 women, seven children and seven babies, a military source was quoted by MAP as saying.

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Of the rescued, four women, one child and two babies were evacuated to a hospital in Hoceima for medical treatments.

Morocco has become a transit country for African migrants seeking to reach Europe for better living conditions.