The service says it rescued 160 migrants from six boats on Saturday, and another 172 migrants from four boats on Sunday in the Strait of Gibraltar. A total of 33,195 illegal migrants had entered Spain as of the end of August 2018, Interior Ministry data shows. Recently there has been a sharp increase in the use of a Morocco and Spain route. Nearly abandoned until 2000, this 'Western Mediterranean' route saw 23,000 crossings last year, mostly of Algerians, Ivorians and Moroccans. However most of the crossings last year were from Libya or Tunisia into Italy, by the 'Central Mediterranean' route, says the EU's Frontex border agency.

Source: Daily Mail September 09, 2018 13:46 UTC