Spain searches for 67 missing at sea, rescues 119 others

Spain on Tuesday resumed search for 67 migrants missing from a boat trying to reach European shores a day after maritime authorities rescued 119 ors from cold Mediterranean waters.

A spokeswoman with Spain’s Maritime Rescue ncy said search for missing rubber boat in stretch of sea separating Spain from Morocco restarted with a rescue vessel and a plane.

A rescue charity alerted authorities Monday about boat’s departure from Moroccan shores, saying that 49 men, 13 women and 5 children were on board, official said. She was t authorized to be named in media reports.

Also Monday, rescuers found two rubber boats in Alborán Sea with 60 and 59 migrants from Africa. migrants, including 26 women and five children, disembarked in Spain’s souastern city of Málaga and were all in good health, spokeswoman said.

Refugees fleeing violence and migrants fleeing poverty look for a new life in Europe by setting off on dangerous trips by sea from African coasts.

Spain became main entry point into Europe for migrants in 2018 but saw number of arrivals halved last year to 26,168. Recently it has seen an uptick in number of boats heing to Canary Islands, which lie in Atlantic Ocean off Africa’s rastern coast.

Morocco received 140 million euros ($155 million) in European Union funds in 2019 to crack down on illegal migrant crossings.

Im Source: AP