MADRID (AP) — Spain's maritime rescue service says it has saved over 300 migrants attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea this weekend.
The service says it rescued 160 migrants from six boats on Saturday, and another 172 migrants from four boats on Sunday in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Spain has become a leading entry point for migrants and the human trafficking rings that help them reach European shores. According to the United Nations, 34,994 migrants have arrived to Spain this year.
The U.N. says 1,565 people are known to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean so far in 2018.
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