Morocco's navy rescued 37 of its citizens off the country's coast on Wednesday, as they were trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, the armed forces said.

The migrants were saved from their partially-inflated rubber dinghy, which was struggling in "unfavourable meteorological conditions", Morocco's military said in a statement.

After being rescued off the coast of Tangier on Morocco's northern coast, the group was taken to the city's port where they were "safe and sound".

The dinghy they had been travelling in "sank just after the rescue operation", the armed forces said.

The incident came a day after at least 13 people died when their boat ran into trouble off the coast of Nador in the country's northeast.

Thirty-two migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were saved, according to local authorities, while organisations which support migrants put the death toll at 34.

Thousands of people have tried to reach Europe from Morocco, most of them on boats bound for Spain or via the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa.

More than 40,000 migrants have made it to Spain since the start of the year, including around 35,000 by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Morocco said last month it had foiled 54,000 bids so far this year by people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Some 80 smuggling networks have been dismantled in the same period, according to the interior ministry.

As part of the crackdown, Morocco's navy last week opened fire on a speedboat which was ferrying migrants to Spain.

A 22-year-old student was killed in the shooting, while three other Moroccans were wounded, sparking criticism from rights groups.

Rights activists slam Moroccan navy for deadly migrant boat shooting
Rabat (AFP) Sept 27, 2018 - Human rights activists on Thursday hit out at Morocco's navy for firing on a boat that was carrying migrants to Spain, in an assault that killed a 22-year-old student.

Hayat Belkacem died and three other Moroccans were wounded -- one critically -- when a speedboat they were in was hit by live rounds on Tuesday in waters off the Moroccan locality of M'diq-Fnideq.

"There is no evidence at all to suggest that the passengers were a security risk to anyone - the only legal justification Morocco might have had to fire on them," Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said.

Morocco's navy found the boat acting "in a suspicious manner in Moroccan waters", according to a statement by the M'diq-Fnideq authorities, released by the interior ministry on Tuesday.

The vessel had "refused to comply with warnings", the statement said.

The Spanish driver of the boat was unhurt and was arrested, said the interior ministry, which announced an inquiry into the incident.

Human Rights Watch called for the investigation to begin immediately and urged the authorities to "disclose their findings publicly, and bring those responsible to justice".

Internet users shared pictures of the dead student and called her "Hayat the martyr", saying her only crime was attempting to leave a miserable life in Morocco to help her family.

"Moroccan civilians are killed in cold blood just because they want to leave this country of social disparities, poverty and repression", the Moroccan Association of Human Rights in coastal city Nador said on Wednesday.

Morocco -- a key route for sub-Saharan Africans trying to reach Europe -- said this month it has foiled 54,000 bids so far in 2018 by illegal migrants to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

The figures included 7,100 Moroccans for the period until the end of August, according to figures released last week by the Moroccan government spokesman.

Since early 2018, Spain has recorded more than 38,000 arrivals by sea and land, according to the International Organization for Migration.

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