Over 160 candidates to illegal immigration arrested in 5 days

Moroccan security services announced that 164 persons were arrested between Dec.1 and Dec.6 trying to gain access to Europe across the narrow Straits of Gibraltar which separates Africa an Europe, or through Spain's Canary Isles.

The group includes 116 Sub-Saharan nationals, 34 Moroccans, 8 Algerians, 2 Bengalis and 4 Indians who were arrested in various regions of the Kingdom as part of the crackdown on illegal immigration.

Moroccan police regularly arrest dozens of Moroccans, north Africans, Asians and people from sub-Saharan countries.

In 2003, a total of 36,344 would-be immigrants were arrested in Morocco, i,e a 16 per cent increase compared to the previous year, according to official figures.