This week Spanish authorities revealed that they found and rescued 41 migrants. The officers discovered the individuals as they tried to reach continental Europe from North Africa. According to the authorities, some of those rescued had hidden inside containers of discarded glass bottles and toxic ash bags.
Discovered Migrants in different Instances
In the most recent discovery, Spanish authorities found 35 people trying to travel illegally to Europe. The people were reportedly from the Spanish port of Melilla, an enclave in North Africa. At the discovery scene, a Spanish guard said they found four people hiding among bottles and other glass. Some of the glass was partially broken in pieces and had sharp edges that cut up the migrant’s hands and legs. Employed truck drivers transport the glass from North Africa to Europe for recycling.
In another incident, Spanish police released a video showing an officer who found first finds a motionless leg sticking out of a large plastic bag. The bag contained ash from an Incinerator in Melilla. The ash is considered a very highly toxic material, so it was a surprise to the officer to see a leg inside the ash. When the Spanish agent started removing the ash from inside the bag, the leg started moving. The stowaway hiding inside the bag seemed to recover consciousness when the officer took out some of the ash. Authorities took the individual to the nearest hospital as he needed immediate medical attention.
Many Migrants found attempting to Sneak into Europe in the past years.
When trucks and containers leave the port of Melilla to embark on a trip to Spain, they take up to seven hours. The port sits near the Ceuta enclave, where many migrants wait for the trucks. According to authorities, the individuals trying to get to the European mainland pay the trucks a small fee to transport them into Europe.
Meanwhile, other migrants who lack funds try their luck in penetrating the fenced area of the harbor. Usually, these individuals have to swim in the deep water to get to the fenced area. But some hide in vehicles or, in some cases, jump onto cars when they slow down or stop at gates of the ports. When they manage to get inside the port, they leave trucks and hide in the bags of toxic ash. In Spain, the Civil Guard revealed that it discovered 11,700 people last year inside the Melilla port’s security perimeter. They added that they had already found 1,781 migrants in 2021 so far.
Travel in Pirogues
The International Organization for Migration reports that the number of departures by migrants has increased over the past few years. Apart from those sneaking inside trucks, others choose to travel by sea in boats. Most of those traveling by sea often have been refused visas for European countries. As a result, these young men and women cram into pirogues boats and begin their 950 miles long trip to Europe. The sea trips are very dangerous as often boat engines break down. Additionally, the boats sometimes take on water, and in other cases, passengers become ill. But the individuals traveling don’t seem to care about the dangers. All they care about is the better life that awaits them when they get to Europe.
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