A ‘migrant taxi’ boat with 26 people on board arrived in broad daylight on an idyllic beach packed with tourists.
The small boat, with twenty men and six women on board, reached Cala Santanyí in Mallorca, SpainFriday around 1:55 p.m.
The beach was packed with sunbathers when lifeguards spotted the migrants and rushed to help them.
After reaching the shore, some jumped into the water, while others clambered over the rocky promontory.
The lifeguards helped those who had fallen into the water and struggled to swim to safety.
Shortly afterwards, two Guardia Civil patrols arrived on the scene to gain control of the situation, local media reported.
All 26 migrants appeared to be in good condition and no serious injuries were reported.
The boat was one of four intercepted or rescued in Mallorca and Formentera within a few hours, bringing the total number of migrants arriving on Friday to 75.
The small boat, with twenty men and six women on board, reached Cala Santanyí in Mallorca, Spain, around 1:55 p.m. on Friday.
The beach was packed with sunbathers when lifeguards spotted the migrants and rushed to help them
Shortly afterwards, two Guardia Civil patrols arrived on the scene to gain control of the situation
Two of the boats were carrying migrants of North African descent, while the other two were carrying migrants of sub-Saharan descent.
According to Mallorca’s island council, around 100 migrants had arrived illegally on Mallorca’s coast in the past 24 hours.
And on Saturday, five small boats carrying a total of 72 migrants reached Mallorca, Cabrera and Formentera.
According to figures compiled from information from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and the Balearic Islands Government Delegation, 274 small boats carrying 5,095 migrants have reached the archipelago so far this year.
The president of Mallorca’s island council, Llorenç Galmés, warned in a statement: “Mallorca cannot continue to deal alone with a situation that far exceeds its capacity.”
It comes as the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa faces a mass migration crisis after 70,000 migrants stormed its beaches in late July.
Although most of the people who entered Ceuta have now returned to Morocco, between 3,500 and 7,000 remain, many living in beachside slums.
Law officers say the city suffers almost daily outbreaks of violence, including attacks on the military and dozens of sexual assaults.
Spain’s Ministry of Equality has confirmed 21 sexual assaults in the past month, five of which involved penetration and nine of which were committed against minors.
Salvador Ortega, a resident of Ceutan, told the Daily Mail that things have “deteriorated significantly” in the past month.
“There is a lot of tension between the residents and the invaders,” he added.
“There have been clashes between some residents and migrants, as well as incidents requiring intervention by law enforcement and security forces.
“There have been vandalism and episodes of violence, which are causing particular concern among local people.”
Law enforcement officials say Ceuta has seen outbreaks of violence on a daily basis
Citizens of Ceuta protest against the migration crisis as the Red Cross distributes food
And this week, a video emerged of migrants capturing a young dolphin swimming in shallow waters and hitting him with a stick to the horror of onlookers.
The video shared online shows a group of men crowding around the dolphin calf as it is held in the air ‘like a trophy’ and hoisted above their heads as onlookers cheer – before angry locals confront them.
One of the Spaniards shouts ‘No! No! No!’, warning migrants that it is illegal to touch or eat the dolphin.
At least five Civil Guard members have been injured since the “invasion,” according to Guillermo Jose Lorenzo, a spokesman for the local police union.
“Attacks happen when you start identifying people involved in a fight,” he told the Daily Mail. ‘They turn against the officers. Some of these incidents have resulted in injuries.”
He said the prevailing mood has darkened over time.
‘The first few days there were not so many clashes; they weren’t that burned out. They were euphoric about their stay, about coming in and about staying. But now there are even more problems.
‘The number of robberies has also increased. They are more desperate because of their situation and because they don’t know what will become of them.’
Local police, the Guardia Civil and the army patrol all parts of the city and will intervene in fighting.
‘But we lack clear instructions, procedures and legal support when acting in any situation. So you don’t know what to do,” said Snr Lorenzo.
‘The tension on the streets increases after nightfall. All the women have pepper spray in their handbags, the shops are empty.’
