They’re running for the all-inclusive hotel!
Sunbather’s shout as migrants land on Spanish beach
TOURISTS at a popular Spanish beach got a surprise when a boat-load of migrants landed before fleeing towards a luxury resort.
One beachgoer filming the scene on his phone could be heard saying: ‘ Look how they’re running towards the [Sancti Petri Melia] hotel.
‘They’re heading for the allinclusive Melia Sancti Petri. Look, look, look.’
The group of about 50 migrants arrived at Barrosa Beach on a tightly-packed inflatable dinghy on Sunday afternoon.
Situated on the Costa de la Luz, it is considered to be one of the best beaches on Spain’s southern coast.
It is near the Sancti Petri resort, in the province of Cadiz, and boasts shops, restaurants and several five-star hotels.
The migrants, who included ten children, are believed to be from Morocco. It can take about an hour by sea to cross the Strait of Gibraltar from North Africa.
Once landed, the migrants were seen running off at speed in all directions and hiding in the cliffs.
Another witness said: ‘ We thought they weren’t going to reach the beach because it’s not something that’s normal in this area. But they leapt off the boat very quickly and began to climb up the rocks.’
Two migrants were held by police, although several of the teenagers on the boat were assisted by workers at nearby hotels and restaurants.
The incident is just the latest in an increasing number of such landings of migrants and refugees reported by tourists along the Spanish coast.
According to UN agency the International Organisation for Migration, between January and July, 20,992 arrived in Spain using what has become known as the western Mediterranean route, against 22,108 who used it during the whole of 2017.
The country has overtaken Italy as the preferred destination for migrants coming into Europe this year. This is because of the controversial blanket ban on migrant boats entering Italy’s ports imposed by the hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini. Only last month, about 50 migrants, including women, were pictured arriving on a packed beach at Zahora, just along the coast from Barrosa. Coastguards rescued more than 60 migrants in the Strait of Gibraltar yesterday, while 88 another migrants were rescued on Saturday.
‘Climb up the rocks’