Morocco Stops 50,000 Migrants Crossings to Europe so far this year

Daily Mail
For Mailonline and Afp
By Connor Boyd

Morocco says it has stopped over 50,000 migrants crossings to Europe by dismantling 74 smuggling rings and seizing 1,900 boats so far this year.

Lastest from Mail Online

‘Her bright twinkling star faded slowly and has actually gone out’: Tributes are paid to Carry On actress Fenella Fielding who has…

Bus driver, 80, ‘who killed boy, seven, and 75-year-old woman when he crashed into Sainsbury’s was driving 75 hours a week and had…

• Police busted human trafficking rings and seized vehicles in new clamp down
• Comes after Morocco launched an operation targeting people smugglers
• Country was forced to act after hundreds of migrants forced their way into Spanish enclave of Ceuta by violently storming border with Morocco

Moroccan authorities prevented more than 54,000 migrants from smuggling into Europe illegally this year.

Advertisement

Police dismantled 74 human trafficking rings and seized 1,900 boats in the last nine months, the country’s official news agency MAP claimed.

The North African country – a key route for people trying to reach Europe via Spain – has launched an operation targeting people smugglers.

Asylum seekers risk injury to clamber across the border from Morocco to Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta & Asylum seekers risk injury to clamber across the border from Morocco to Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta

Asylum seekers risk injury to clamber across the border from Morocco to Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta

Some 600 migrants reached Spain in a mass jump of the Spanish border in July, prompting the Moroccan government to clamp down on the issue.

“Some 600 migrants reached Spain in a mass jump of the Spanish border in July, prompting the Moroccan government to clamp down on the issue”

Some 600 migrants reached Spain in a mass jump of the Spanish border in July, prompting the Moroccan government to clamp down on the issue

600 migrants reach Spain after storming border fence in Ceuta

It was forced to clamp down on the issue after hundreds of migrants forced their way into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by violently storming a heavily fortified border fence with Morocco in July.

Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other tiny territory in North Africa, make up the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

Related Articles

• • Almost 600 migrants storm border fence and attack security forces with quicklime to make it into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco
  • Desperate migrants frantically struggle to escape sinking dinghy off the Spanish coast

Spain has become the main entry point for migrants arriving in Europe, after Italy and Greece.

More than 35,000 migrants have arrived in Spain by sea and land so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Ceuta Africa locator

Migrants charged border fences separating Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in July. The enclave is a hotspot for migrants looking to get into Europe

From January until July, 318 migrants died at sea trying to reach the Spanish coast.

That number is three times more than recorded numbers for the same period in 2017.

MAP did not give the nationalities of the migrants prevented from crossing to Europe or specify what action was taken.

According to the interior ministry, 230 suspected people smugglers – Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans – have been put on trial since the start of 2018.