Os African migrants, continue to opt for sea crossings, with the aim of reaching Europe, in this order, the Spanish Maritime Rescue services, announced this Monday (21), the rescue of 217 migrants, including a baby, who tried on the same day to reach Spain in 10 boats leaving fromthe continent.
The migrants attempted to cross the Strait of Gibraltar and the westernmost part of the Mediterranean, according to different information published throughout the day on Twitter by Salvamento Marítimo.
Among those rescued are at least 24 women and a baby.
On board one of the very precarious boats, rescuers found 55 people who were later taken to Almería, in Andalusia.
“The Moroccan authorities, in turn, reported that they rescued 80 people from four boats and disembarked them in Tangier,” reported the Spanish public body.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), migrants trying to reach Spain are mostly from Morocco, Algeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Syria.
Since January this year, 635 people have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the IOM report of May 21.
In 2017, Spain remained the third gateway to Europe for migrants via the Mediterranean, behind Italy and Greece.
Last week, the Andalusian Pro-Human Rights Association (APDHA) reported that, throughout the year, the number of people who died trying to reach Spain increased by 150%.