Surge in Jet Ski Crossings: Migrants Pay Thousands to Reach Spain from Morocco

"In recent weeks, the arrival of Moroccans in the peninsula by means of jet skis has multiplied. These craft are used by criminal organizations dedicated to human trafficking who charge up to 10,000 euros per ticket," sources from the Civil Guard told El Confidencial, stressing that the migrants, victims of these criminal networks, "are not aware of the danger they are exposing themselves to by embarking on such a journey. Because jet skis have a very specific range that "varies depending on the number of occupants, speed, waves..."

Migration flows have dropped significantly since Spain’s change of position on the Sahara in March, due to the strengthening of coastal control by Moroccan authorities. But increasingly, human trafficking networks have resumed the various migration routes to Ceuta, Melilla, the Canary Islands or Andalusia and the Balearic Islands.

According to data published by the Ministry of the Interior, 23,197 migrants arrived in Spain in the first nine months of 2022, compared to 28,729 in the same period of 2021. On the other hand, the migration flow has curiously increased by more than 23% by land routes, particularly Ceuta and Melilla, in the first three quarters of this year, reaching 1,969 migrants.