According to migrant relief organization Caminando Fronteras, at least 44 migrants drowned after their boat capsized off the coast of Western Sahara on Sunday.

Helena Maleno of the agency tweeted that 12 others survived the disaster, which occurred when the boat sank off the coast of Cap Boujdour.

The survivors were arrested, Maleno wrote.

The bodies of seven victims were brought back to shore but the others could not be retrieved, she added.

There was no immediate confirmation from authorities in Morocco, which sees the disputed Western Sahara as an integral part of the North African kingdom.

It was not clear where the boat was heading, but usually migrants leaving from that area try to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.

Morocco is a key transit point on routes taken by migrants hoping for better lives in Europe.

On Friday, Morocco and Spain said in a joint statement they were committed to strengthening cooperation on irregular migration.

More than 14,700 attempted irregular departures were prevented and 52 human smuggling networks broken up in Morocco during the first three months of this year, according to interior ministry figures.

Moroccan authorities stopped more than 63,120 crossings last year and shut down 256 smuggling networks.

More than 40,000 migrants arrived in Spain by sea in 2021, according to the Spanish interior ministry.

According to Caminando Fronteras, 4,404 migrants perished or went missing trying to reach Spain in the same year.