78 would-be immigrants nabbed
2006-01-09 08:22
Morocco - Moroccan authorities said on Sunday 78 would-be immigrants were arrested on the beach in the northern town of Nador as they were getting ready to embark for Spain.
The Moroccan migrants seeking to enter Spain illegally were picked up after they had to abandon their plans to cross the Mediterranean to Spain because of rough seas, authorities said, adding that their case will now be referred to the local prosecutor in Nador.
This week the Spanish government reported that the number of illegal immigrants apprehended after landing on Spanish beaches from North Africa fell by a quarter last year.
The steep drop was due to government efforts to counter illegal immigration and improved co-operation with Morocco, Immigration Minister Consuelo Rumi said.
Spain's concern about its position as a gateway for African immigrants seeking a better life in Europe was exacerbated in September by migrant assaults on its urban enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Morocco, which claimed 14 lives.