A source from the military the Moroccan navy has saved about 900 illegal migrants in recent days, the majority of whom were from sub-Saharan Africa, 400 of whom were found in Moroccan territorial waters. At the same time, there have been an increasing number of efforts to reach Spain.

One body was pulled from the ocean during the rescue efforts, the Moroccan source reported on Tuesday.

"During the period from 10 to 17 July, Royal Navy units rescued 845 would-be irregular migrants of various nationalities, the majority of whom were Sub-Saharan Africans. Nearly 400 people were rescued in waters under national jurisdiction in the south of the Kingdom," the source said.

Those who were rescued received assistance on naval vessels before being brought ashore for identification.

Following stricter controls in the Mediterranean, there has been a significant surge in activity along the Canary Islands' migratory route, which serves as the gateway to Europe in the Atlantic Ocean, with many migrants departing from the coasts of northwest Africa.

Similar perilous crossing attempts are also being made from the coasts of Morocco and the Western Sahara.

NGOs regularly report fatal shipwrecks, estimating that the death toll may reach dozens or even hundreds of people, occurring in Moroccan, Spanish, or international waters.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the Alarmphone aid network reported that 24 individuals lost their lives when their boat, carrying 61 people, capsized off Western Sahara two days prior. However, this information has not been officially confirmed by Moroccan authorities.

According to the Moroccan authorities, they have thwarted 26,000 attempts at illegal emigration during the first five months of 2023. In 2022, approximately 71,000 attempts were foiled, according to the Ministry of the Interior.