Spain intercepts 32 Moroccan immigrants

The authorities in southern Spain say coastguards have intercepted a boat carrying thirty-two illegal Moroccan immigrants towards the Spanish coast.

The boat was taking in water and struggling to keep afloat.

The immigrants were taken ashore and into custody, and the Spanish owner of the boat was arrested.

Correspondents say Spain serves as a major entry point for north Africans seeking a better life in Europe, with the Strait of Gibraltar which separates it from Morocco as narrow as twenty kilometres in places.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service