Photo credit: Reuters
At least 54 children and about 30 adults swam the distance of about 14 kilometers from Morocco to Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, in rough seas and fog.
Asiaone reports that video footage on Spanish television channel RTVE showed Civil Guard launches making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam to the enclave.
The children were taken to temporary centers in Ceuta, where authorities called for help from the central government in dealing with the situation.
On August 26, 2024, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, according to local police. In 2021, a boy was seen floating on empty plastic bottles in an attempt to reach Ceuta.
Ceuta and Melilla, both Spain’s enclaves on Morocco’s Mediterranean Coast, share the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe.
Moroccans detained during the crossing are immediately sent back to Morocco unless they are underage or seeking asylum. People from other nationalities are taken to special centers where they are given shelter and released after a few days.
Three years ago, at least 23 people died in a stampede when about 2,000 migrants tried to swim into Melilla, pushing down the border fence
