Spain and Italy are both struggling to cope with the record numbers of African migrants arriving on their shores.
Migrants have been using inflatable dinghies to cross the Strait of Gibraltar in record numbers in the last few days, leading Spain to accuse Morocco of failing to control its borders.
Spanish vessels picked up nearly 1,000 migrants in only 48 hours. This was the largest sudden influx for Spain in years.
Sources from Frontex, the EU border management agency, confirmed that Moroccan maritime authorities had stopped patrolling its northern coast, despite its concern that tens of thousands of African migrants are living in makeshift camps seeking chances to get to Spain.
Charities working with the migrants in Morocco said that word spread quickly that the patrols had ceased.
More migrants are attempting to cross the sea to Spain than try to storm the enclaves of Ceuta or Melilla after Spain reinforced its triple razor wire fences with anti-climbing mesh.
The numbers trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe is already about 60% greater than all of last year, the UN refugee agency said in July.
More than 75,000 have tried to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa in the first half of 2014, landing in Italy, Greece, Spain and Malta, the UNHCR says, with about 800 people dying in the attempt.
Italian authorities say that nearly 100,000 migrants have made it to Italian shores so far this year, with an estimated 65,000 rescued during sea crossings on unsafe vessels.
Much responsibility lies with human smugglers. Very few arrests have been made.
