Heba Press: Abdel Salam Belgarbi, Mohamed Zariyouh
On Thursday evening, the Spanish Civil Guard imposed a security cordon in the southern border zone of occupied Melilla after spotting a speedboat carrying 20 illegal immigrants, who were able to enter the territorial waters of the city, which is under the administration of Madrid.
Spanish authorities stopped traffic in the area and members of the Civil Guard and the National Police participated in the operation, as well as local security agents from the autonomous city.
Heba Press obtained video showing the moment the speedboat arrived in Melilla, where the migrants jumped into the water to continue their journey by swimming. The website also released another video clip showing the boat being pursued by Spanish and Moroccan authorities.
According to Spanish media, the number of migrants on board the boat was estimated at around twenty people. The local government representative confirmed that all migrants were intercepted and handed over to the Royal Moroccan Navy.
This comes at a time when the governor in charge of immigration is visiting the Nador region to review the efforts of the Moroccan authorities in the face of the phenomenon of illegal immigration.
