22/07: 12 travellers intercepted by the Moroccan navy in the Strait of Gibraltar

23.07.2022 / 15:50 / Western Mediterranean

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 22nd July 2022

Case name: 2022_07_22-WM032

Situation: 12 travellers in distress on rubber boat without engine in the Strait of Gibraltar, intercepted by the Moroccan navy.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the case: On Friday the 22nd of July 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 12 travellers, including two minors, in distress in the Strait of Gibraltar. The travellers had left from close to Tangier early the same morning on a rubber boat with no engine, attempting to row across the Strait. We were not able to reach the travellers directly, but the relative informed us that the boat was losing air. They also forwarded the GPS position of the travellers, showing that they were still in the Moroccan search and rescue zone. We alerted the Moroccan rescue authorities to the distress situation, relaying all the information we had. In addition, we also alerted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo. In the evening, the Moroccan navy had still not managed to find the boat but confirmed that they were still searching. At 19.26 CEST the Moroccan rescue authorities confirmed that they had intercepted the boat, that all the travellers were in good health and were being returned to Tangier. This was later confirmed by the travellers themselves.

Last update: 11:48 Aug 07, 2023

Credibility:

Border police patrols
While the exact location of patrols is of course constantly changing, this line indicates the approximate boundary routinely patrolled by border guards’ naval assets. In the open sea, it usually correspond to the outer extent of the contiguous zone, the area in which “State may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws” (UNCLOS, art. 33). Data source: interviews with border police officials.
Coastal radars
Approximate radar beam range covered by coastal radars operating in the frame of national marine traffic monitoring systems. The actual beam depends from several different parameters (including the type of object to be detected). Data source: Finmeccanica.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Maritime area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which the coastal state exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, the seabed and its subsoil and the superjacent waters. Its breadth is 200 nautical miles from the straight baselines from which the territorial sea is measured (UNCLOS, Arts. 55, 56 and 57). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans
Frontex operations
Frontex has, in the past few years, carried out several sea operations at the maritime borders of the EU. The blue shapes indicate the approximate extend of these operations. Data source: Migreurop Altas.
Mobile phone coverage
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network coverage. Data source: Collins Mobile Coverage.
Oil and gas platforms
Oil and gas platforms in the Mediterranean. Data source:
Search and Rescue Zone
An area of defined dimensions within which a given state is has the responsibility to co-ordinate Search and Rescue operations, i.e. the search for, and provision of aid to, persons, ships or other craft which are, or are feared to be, in distress or imminent danger. Data source: IMO availability of search and rescue (SAR) services - SAR.8/Circ.3, 17 June 2011.
Territorial Waters
A belt of sea (usually extending up to 12 nautical miles) upon which the sovereignty of a coastal State extends (UNCLOS, Art. 2). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans