A Moroccan sentenced in Spain for operating a boat that led to the death of migrants

A Moroccan was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for operating a boat that led to the death of migrants in 2018 off the coast of Caños de Meca, in Barbate (Cadiz).

According to the Spanish news agency EFE, the Moroccan pleaded guilty during the trial held this week at the Provincial Court of Cadiz.

The man, named Tarik, was one of the 22 people who survived the sinking which occurred on November 5, 2018 when the boat wrecked only 150 meters off the coast of Cadiz.

The mortal remains of certain members of the crew had been repatriated to Morocco via the border of Ceuta, the same source added.

The trip had started two days earlier, on November 3, on the Moroccan coast, with more than 40 people on board, including 31 young people from Salé, a city near Rabat.