Nearly 400 migrants rescued near Spanish coast

Nearly 400 migrants, who were heading from Morocco to Spain, were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, Reuters informs with reference to the Spanish rescue services. 

While the total number of migrants arriving in Europe by sea has decreased significantly in comparison with the peak in 2015, the number of migrant arrivals in Spain increases steadily. 

On Saturday, 395 persons were rescued from nine boats in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea, the two main sea routes to Spain, the Spanish coastguard said on Twitter. According to the information, two persons more were rescued from a small boat. 

For the first time in many years, Spain became a more attractive place for migrants than Italy. The country has already registered nearly 21,000 migrants so far during the year – more than in the whole of 2017, according to the data provided by the International Organization for Migration. 

The mortality rate while travelling from Morocco to Spain us nearly one in 70, while it is one in 19 between Libya and Italy.