Moroccan Boats Pursue Swimmer Into Spanish Waters Before Catching Him
Two Moroccan boats pursued a man who tried to swim back to Sebta on Monday, October 26. He was intercepted after crossing the Tarajal buoy, in Spanish waters.
He is walking toward Morocco with other migrants when he suddenly turns back. At the Tarajal border crossing, at around 2 p.m., the man breaks away from the group, runs toward the beach and plunges into the water. He wants to return to Sebta, which he had been about to leave.
Moroccan agents race after him across the sand. Too late: he is already at sea. A first boat then tries to intercept him. It makes repeated maneuvers to catch up, but the swimmer continues toward the coast of Sebta.
The scene was filmed by El Faro de Ceuta, which published its report Monday at 3:59 p.m. The group the man broke away from is made up of Moroccans sent back after the mass arrivals of migrants in late July.
An interception in Spanish waters
A second Moroccan boat then joins the pursuit. The two boats pass the Tarajal buoy and chase the swimmer in Sebta’s waters. Offshore from the border crossing, the crews make several attempts to get close to him. The man continues swimming toward the Spanish shore.
The agents eventually catch up with him and bring him aboard one of the boats, which heads back toward Morocco. According to the Spanish daily, the interception took place when the swimmer was already in Sebta’s waters.
The incident comes as Moroccans contest the conditions of their return from Sebta. Several say they were taken to the Moroccan border when they believed they were being transferred to a Spanish reception center.
On Bladi.net : Spain’s Ceuta migrant returns under fire as Moroccan man says he was sent back without explanation
Once back on the Moroccan side, the swimmer is handed over to the police. The officers take charge of him and escort him to the Tarajal border crossing.
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