MADRID (Sputnik) — The Spanish Maritime Security and Rescue Society rescued on Friday 54 undocumented migrants, attempting to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe on board a boat, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said.
The boat with 48 men and six women on board was found some 36 miles west of the Spanish Mediterranean port city of Malaga, according to the Red Cross.
Two men out of those rescued were hospitalized over hypothermia. Three women were also brought to a hospital due to suspected pregnancies.
Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty.
According to the International Organization for Migration, since the beginning of 2016, over 177,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, while 732 have died or gone missing while making the journey.
