Spain rescues 168 migrants crossing Mediterranean Sea

Spain’s maritime rescue service says it has saved 168 migrants from several small boats trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa. (Photo by er Guiri/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

MADRID — Spain’s maritime rescue service says it has saved 168 migrants from several small boats trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa.

The service says its ships intercepted nine different boats carrying a total of 168 migrants on Saturday and Sunday.

Many migrants from Africa die trying the perilous voyage to Europe in small craft unfit for the open sea. Those boats often belong to human traffickers.