Unlawful migrants land boat on popular Spanish tourist beach
Updated . First published at
Stunned beachgoers watched a boat packed with unauthorised migrants leap from a boat at a popular resort beach in Spain.
Footage shows beachgoers bolting from the sands on Wednesday as about 60 people jumped from the small speedboat, believed to be crewed by people smugglers, and swim towards the beach.
Beachgoers in southern Spain were stunned when a people smuggling boat dropped about 60 migrants close to the sands. Supplied
The migrants walked up the sand between groups of tourists, either paddling in the sea or sheltering beneath umbrellas.
Some beachgoers called the police before grabbing their belongings and quickly leaving, reports The Telegraph.
The landing at the luxurious La Manga resort on Spain’s southern coast involved mostly young men from North Africa, according to local media.
Witnesses say many ran towards the nearby town of Atamaría in Murcia,
Local politicians were outraged by the illicit landing and called for the Spanish government to do more.
Moroccan security forces stand guard as migrants gather on a hill attempting to cross from the border town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta AP Photo/STR
Noelia Arroyo, the mayor of Cartagena, where La Manga is located, demanded better surveillance of vessels in an X post.
“Mafias and criminal organisations continue trafficking people in broad daylight. These are not isolated episodes; they are perfectly designed routes.
“We demand compliance with the laws, greater surveillance and control at our borders, and more resources and personnel to guarantee security and coexistence.”
The landing follows the alarming migrant invasion of the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in July.
More than 72,000 migrants stormed the fences and poured into the small Spanish territory neighbouring Morocco, leaving at least 90 killed during the initial rush.
The Spanish government deployed its army to restore order, and most migrants were reportedly returned to Morocco.
But the incident sparked outrage across Europe and fuel to the debate over border controls.
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