Rabat – The Spanish Civil Guard and the Moroccan Gendarmerie on Wednesday teamed up to prevent 50 irregular migrants from swimming their way into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Spanish media have reported.
An alert was issued and police were deployed on both sides of the border to control the entry attempts.
It was after midnight when the Spanish Civil Guard detected a group of about 50 people of sub-Saharan origin trying to reach Ceuta by swimming across the breakwater.
Within the border perimeter that separates Ceuta from Beliones, the situation resulted in an extensive deployment of police forces on both sides of the border, with both the Moroccan Gendarmerie and the Spanish Civil Guard controlling the attempted entry.
Several units of the Civil Guard have been deployed to the scene, including the Reserve and Security Group (GRS), which is protecting the area from further attempts by migrants to enter the Spanish enclave.
This latest incident comes three and a half months after Ceuta experienced the biggest migratory crisis in its history, when an estimated 12,000 people entered irregularly through the breakwaters of Tajaral and Benzu.
The situation has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people, including 1,000 unaccompanied minor, are still reported to be in the city.
Swimming to the Spanish enclaves is considered a cheap solution for most irregular migrants lacking the financial means to legally migrate into Europe.
But with news of tightened security at Ceuta and Melilla crossing points, more and more people are turning south, looking towards reaching the Canary Islands as they sail from Dakhla or Tan-Tan, Morocco’s southernmost cities facing the Atlantic.
