More than 50 children and about 30 adults swam through rough sea and thick fog from Morocco to Spain’s North African city of Ceuta, Spanish TV reported on Saturday. Video clips from the Spanish channel RTVE showed rescue boats from the Civil Guard helping swimmers who were in trouble. Some swimmers reached the shore on their own without any help
Most of the children were Moroccan. Authorities placed them in temporary shelters after they arrived. Ceuta officials said they could not handle the large number of new arrivals and asked Spain’s main government for help. Juan Rivas, a member of Ceuta’s regional government, said, “Don’t leave us alone. This is a matter of state. This has to be resolved.”
This is not the first time something like this has happened. Hundreds of migrants swam into Ceuta on August 26 last year, using thick fog as cover. In 2021, one boy was even seen floating on plastic bottles to reach the city.
Ceuta and another city, Melilla, are part of Spain but are located on the coast of Morocco. Europe and Africa connect only through land borders at these cities. Many migrants try to cross into them to get to Europe.
If Moroccan adults are caught crossing, Spain sends them back right away unless they are underage or asking for asylum. People from other countries are taken to special shelters and are usually let go after a few days.
In 2022, a tragic incident happened at Melilla’s border. About 2,000 migrants tried to push through a fence, and at least 23 people died in the crowd. This recent swimming attempt shows that many people, including children, are willing to risk their lives for a chance to enter Europe.
