Gleeful migrants filmed themselves arriving in the Spanish territory of Ceuta, with one man seen reaching the shore clinging to a bicycle, while another took videos with a selfie stick as he swam across the African coast.
Thousands of migrants have been pouring into Ceuta over the last two days, some by land and others by sea.
Spain‘s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned the breach of the border with Morocco as ‘a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.’
But as security forces struggle to hold back the influx of migrants, incoming North Africans took to social media to share videos of them celebrating their arrival in Ceuta.
Meanwhile, separate footage captured the bizarre ways in which they managed to cross the sea.
Other clips showed migrant children playing in Spanish parks, while groups of men were seen throwing peace signs and shouting ‘Long live Pedro Sanchez.’
One social media video showed a migrant swimming from Morocco to Ceuta while hauling a bicycle across the water.
As he reaches the shore, he is seen pushing the bike along the beach.
A migrant films himself swimming with a selfie stick as music plays in the background
One social media video showed a migrant swimming from Morocco to Ceuta while hauling a bicycle across the water
A young woman celebrates as she walks along a beach promenade after arriving in Ceuta
In another video that has gone viral, a migrant films himself swimming with a selfie stick as music plays in the background.
Other scenes show a water-soaked young woman celebrating as she walks along a beach promenade after arriving on the Spanish territory.
The same woman appears in a separate video walking along the streets of Ceuta with a group of other young people as she brandishes a Fendi phone case in her hand.
Videos shared by Spanish locals showed scores of unaccompanied migrant children playing in parks.
Live footage of the Spain-Morocco border showed hundreds of migrants gathered on a hill overlooking Ceuta being dispersed with tear gas by Moroccan forces, while others continued to swim to the Spanish enclave.
At the same time, large groups of migrants walked back from Ceuta toward Morocco to return home.
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, called the situation a ‘serious humanitarian crisis,’ saying thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, while others roamed the streets aimlessly.
‘People are still entering. The reinforcements, including Spanish military troops, that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts,’ he said. ‘It’s chaotic.’
Migrants are seen playing in Ceuta’s parks after their arrival
Among the 18 who died, many drowned, Sbihi said, but some were also killed in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal beach, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco.
On Friday morning, the waters near the border fence were littered with buoys, shoes and other belongings left behind.
Moroccan police deployed additional personnel, used water cannons and fired warning shots into the air to prevent migrants from crossing into Ceuta, according to rights groups in Morocco.
Authorities in Ceuta and Madrid have blamed the situation on a recent decision by Spain’s Supreme Court that ruled migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence.
Sanchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling, but acknowledged that it may have played a role in sowing chaos.
‘It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday,’ Sanchez said.
Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
To reach Ceuta, located on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about three miles to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login