RABAT, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan navy rescued 38 sub-Saharan migrants off the Atlantic coast on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces.

The navy unit intercepted a boat heading to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, during an operation 170 km southwest of Dakhla, the statement said.

The migrants, including one woman and a child, were handed over to the Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie for standard administrative procedures after receiving necessary care, it added.

Morocco is regarded as a transit hub by some West African migrants seeking to reach Europe. ■