WATCH: African Migrants Make Dramatic Landfall at Tourist Beach in Spain
Two dozen people in a small dinghy landed in the middle of a tourist-packed beach in Spain.
It is thought the group are Moroccan migrants. pic.twitter.com/wIdcVUGelQ
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 9, 2017
In a shocking new video, viewers can see a seemingly insignificant boat sailing into a Spanish beach, until the 20 or so occupants get close enough to land that they jump ship and scurry up the beach to find shelter in the countryside. Why? They’re Moroccan migrants.
The video shows a D-Day esque storming of the beach, but the men show no intent to harm anyone, rather they try to get away as fast as possible. Regardless, a woman close to the camera can be heard yelling “Corre! Corre!” which is Spanish for run. She also says to “grab the boy,” showing how frightening this scene was for the locals.
It took place Wednesday afternoon in Zahara de los Atunes, Spain, 7.7 miles from the coastal city of Cádiz. The migrants arrived by coming through the Strait of Gibraltar, a popular route for migrants.
According to The Guardian, the EU’s border agency said 7,500 immigrants have come into Spain just in the first three months of the year, a shocking increase from the 3,600 in the same time last year. In June alone, 2,200 attempted a similar crossing, using inflatable boats to navigate the strait.
This boat was not the only one to attempt the crossing that day, as two other boats had to be rescued earlier in the day, one by the Spanish coast guard and the other by the Moroccan coast guard.
According to the Daily Mail, “the increase in numbers on the Spain to Morocco route comes after the European Union struck a deal with Ankara to stem the flow of migrants crossing from Turkey to Greece.”
