The rescue was carried out on Sunday, about 274 km (170 miles) south-west of the city of Dakhla in the Western Sahara desert.

The migrants had left the Mauritanian coast on 10 February, the Reuters news agency reported, citing the Moroccan navy.

Last year, the Canary Islands received nearly 32,000 migrants, the highest number recorded since 2006.

In January, Spanish authorities said they continued to record a surge in migrant arrivals to the islands, with most boats originating from Mauritania.