Over 250 would-be immigrants arrested in three days in Morocco

Moroccan security forces have arrested 265 would-be immigrants in several operations combined and carried out October 8-10 throughout the country, sources from the Ministry of Interior revealed Monday night.

The arrests, part of a crackdown campaign to curb illegal immigration, have concerned 228 people from Sub-Saharan countries, 31 from Morocco, 4 from North African Maghreb countries, and 2 from Asia.

They were arrested in the cities of Nador, Laayoune, Tetouan, Fez, Chefchaouen, Kenitra, Tan-Tan, Boujdour, Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir.

Every year tens of thousands of would-be illegal immigrants, mostly from Sub-Saharan countries and Morocco attempt to reach the Spanish peninsula most of the time aboard makeshift boats sailing from the Northern and Moroccan coasts.

To face this phenomenon, Morocco and Spain decided to set up joint patrols and surveillance zones in an attempt to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants.