Morocco intercepts 44 sub-Saharan migrants

The Moroccan navy on Sunday intercepted 44 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who were heading for Spain in an inflatable dinghy, local immigration officials said.

The migrants, aged 20 to 40 and from various sub-Saharan countries, were picked up off Al Hoceima in the north Mediterranean.

The group was to be handed over to police before being expelled to Algeria, where migrants stop over before arriving in Morocco, the Moroccan immigration authorities said.