THE Moroccan navy today intercepted 44 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who were heading for Spain in an inflatable dinghy, local immigration officials said.
The migrants, aged 20 to 40 and from various sub-Saharan countries, were picked up off Al Hoceima in the north Mediterranean.
The group was to be handed over to police before being expelled to Algeria, where migrants stop over before arriving in Morocco, the Moroccan immigration authorities said.
The highly risky flow of refugees across the Mediterranean from Africa is surging due to war and famine - with most of the boat people bound initially for Spain and Italy.
According to the Catholic aid group Sant'Egidio, at least 1820 migrants from north Africa, most originally from south of the Sahara, have drowned this year in the sea in their bid to reach Europe.
Since the start of the year, more than 11,000 Africans fleeing conflicts in north Africa have landed in southern Italy, in increasing numbers since NATO air raids on Libya began in mid-March and the weather improved.
Some 2000 migrants from north Africa arrived on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa this weekend, ANSA news agency reported today. In south-western Sardinia two boats carrying 45 men, one woman and two children landed overnight on Saturday (local time).
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