BERLIN: Spain's maritime rescue service says its ships have saved 72 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in three small boats.

The agency says one rescue ship collected 10 migrants in the Strait of Gibraltar. A second operation then picked up 53 more migrants from another vessel, followed by third rescue ship saving nine more migrants.

The International Organisation for Migration says Spain received about 3,850 migrants via sea crossings and rescues in 2015. Other migrants seek asylum in Spain via its North African enclaves, Melilla and Ceuta.