SAO PAULO — About two dozen African migrants were taken ashore in northeastern Brazil after being rescued at sea by fishermen, Brazilian authorities said Sunday.
The government of Maranhao state said 25 people from Senegal, Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde, along with two Brazilians, landed Saturday.
The boat with the migrants was adrift when they were rescued, according to the G1 news portal, which also said they had been at sea for weeks.
Those aboard were dehydrated and received medical care and meals upon arrival, the state government said. They were taken to a sports complex where they would be housed for the time being.
Federal police are looking into whether any crimes were committed against the migrants. That could mean there is suspicion they were exploited by smugglers.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants attempt to reach Spain and other southern European countries by crossing the Mediterranean in smugglers’ boats. Most of the vessels are unfit for open water, and thousands of people drown each year. But such journeys to Brazil are rare.
In the Mediterranean, Spain’s maritime rescue service said it picked up 162 migrants who were attempting to make the perilous trip to Europe this weekend.
The service said its rescue craft intercepted 121 people traveling in three separate boats on Saturday and pulled another 41 passengers from a fourth boat on Sunday.
The United Nations says 615 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year.