Astonishing moment migrant PARAGLIDES into Spanish enclave of Melilla
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Amazing moment of a migrant PARAGLIDING towards Europe: the first known case is filmed by a stunned Spaniard while a man flies over the border from the North African enclave
- A migrant made history by paragliding to the Spanish enclave in North Africa, Melilla
- The unidentified migrant fled when officers arrived and has not been found.
- Paragliding is believed to have used equipment costing just £5.50 online
This is the moment when a migrant makes history by becoming the first documented person to paraglide across Spain’s southern border with Morocco and onto European soil.
Two locals driving along the double fence inside the Spanish enclave of Melilla in North Africa filmed the astonishing scene before calling the police.
But the unidentified migrant had fled when officers arrived and had yet to be found.
The paraglider is believed to have used equipment costing just £5.50 online, which was dumped at the scene.
The first documented person to paraglide across Spain’s southern border from Morocco is shown landing in the European enclave of Melilla
Two locals driving along the double fence inside the Spanish enclave of Melilla in North Africa filmed the astonishing scene before calling the police.
The migrant landed at around 6:15 p.m. where the border fence between Melilla and Morocco crosses the Nano River. The identity of the daring migrant and his nationality are still unknown
The historic crossing took place yesterday afternoon around 6:15 p.m. at the border fence crossing between Melilla and Morocco over the Nano River.
It was the same place where around 150 immigrants stormed the border fence in January last year, and almost 90 managed to cross into the Spanish enclave.
One of the two men in the car witnessing the crossing could be heard telling his partner, ‘Bro, he’s going down on a fucking paraglider, the fucking paraglider just went down.’
What a rough landing he just had.
The other man who is with him replies: ‘Call the Civil Guard’.
The local authorities confirmed last night that it was the first documented case of someone paragliding in Melilla.
The identity of the daring migrant and his nationality are still unknown.
Melilla, the autonomous city and Spanish enclave within Morocco in North Africa, a special member state of the territories of the European Union, is pictured
The historic crossing is also locally reported as the first known entry into Melilla from Morocco by an undocumented immigrant since June 24.
At least 24 people died that day after a human stampede as they tried to scale the heavily fortified border fence. Human rights groups say 70 involved in the incident remain missing.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has been pressured to resign after an investigative documentary claimed some deaths had occurred on Spanish soil.
He insisted in the Spanish Parliament on Wednesday that no deaths had been recorded on his territory, saying: “I have said it before and I will say it again: we are talking about tragic events that took place outside our country.”
Many undocumented migrants arriving in Melilla come from as far away as Sudan and use it as a springboard to reach the European mainland after being transferred from overcrowded temporary stay centers.
The border fence between Morocco and Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla is seen along a road. Many undocumented immigrants who arrive in Melilla come from as far away as Sudan and use it as a springboard to reach the European mainland.
The heavily guarded border between Melilla and Morocco is one of only two land borders between the EU and an African country. The other is Ceuta, which is also a Spanish enclave.
The two parallel border fences in Melilla next to the road that the paraglider was filmed crossing are between 20 and 32 feet high and 7.5 miles long.
Previous attempts by immigrants to enter the Spanish enclave have led them to hide inside the bumpers of cars and in specially adapted spaces under the passenger seats of the vehicles.
They have also risked their lives using truck tires to try to cross the sea.
Earlier this week, the Spanish coast guard rescued three men who survived 11 days at the helm of a ship traveling from Nigeria.
They were transferred to hospital after the Althini II arrived in the capital of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, and have now requested political asylum after being released from a medical center after receiving treatment for hypothermia.