Video: Migrant boat arrives on tourist-filled beach in Cádiz

A small boat carrying a group of migrants landed at La Barrosa beach in Cádiz on Sunday afternoon. Beachgoers at the crowded vacation spot looked on in astonishment as the inflatable craft approached the shore, letting those on board jump off and run towards the cliff. According to witnesses, many of the migrants appeared to be minors.

The Spanish Civil Guard has begun searching the surrounding area to find the new arrivals, say sources close to Chiclana City Hall. Witnesses told Radio Cádiz that officers have detained at least two people. The boat made it to the section of the beach near Bermeja Tower and many of the migrants were attended to by staff in nearby establishments.

The arrivals come after Spain’s maritime service rescued 58 migrants from the Strait of Gibraltar this weekend. Fourteen were located on Monday and another 44 migrants, from Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, on Sunday.

58 more people were rescued this weekend from the Strait of Gibraltar

Spain has now become the main gateway into Europe through the Mediterranean, ahead of Italy and Greece. Shelter services have been unable to keep up with the demand, leaving many migrants to sleep in overcrowded centers, police stations and even on the decks of boats.

According to the Interior Ministry, 17,605 undocumented migrants have arrived in Spain by sea since the beginning of the year, and 3,292 more have entered by land through Ceuta and Melilla. An average of 54 people arrived in Spain by sea each day in the first five months of 2018. That average has since shot up to 220 per day.

English version by Melissa Kitson.