Photo shows the Strait of Gibraltarâ„¢s map.
Spanish coastguards have rescued 59 illegal immigrants including a pregnant woman who were attempting to reach Spainâ„¢s southern coast in a makeshift boats, rescue services say.
The immigrants were picked up on Monday. About 196 people have been rescued since Saturday and taken to the southern Spanish port of Tarifa to receive care from Red Cross volunteers, a spokeswoman for Spain’s rescue service told AFP.
The Spanish rescue services said they have warned on their official Twitter account that force-eight winds have made all crossing more dangerous than usual.
Many immigrants of sub-Saharan Africa origin try to reach Spain from Morocco either by sea, through the Strait of Gibraltar, or overland via the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, in the extreme north of Morocco.
In 2012, 3,804 immigrants crossed into the Spanish coast by sea which showed a 30 percent decrease in comparison with the previous year.
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Republished from: Press TV