The Spanish Maritime Rescue and Moroccan Gendarmerie have intercepted two small dinghies as they tried to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to mainland Spain on Thursday morning.
The interceptions began after a phone call was received at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Tarifa from someone in Morocco informing them that a boat had set off towards Spain.
The first boat was intercepted at 09:45 by Maritime Rescue vessels about 5.5 miles southeast of Tarifa. There were seven adult males on board.
The second boat, also carrying seven sub-Saharan males, was intercepted by a Moroccan patrol boat near the coast of Morocco and the occupants were taken to Tangier.