This is the moment two young men are found inside mattresses as they attempt to cross the Spain-Morocco border. The video posted to Twitter on December 30, shows police removing two mattresses from…
The video posted to Twitter on December 30, shows police removing two mattresses from the top of a vehicle in Melilla.
They then use tools to cut the mattress to find the young men inside.
According to El Periodico, the driver of the vehicle fled to Morocco.
Mientras no haya #víasseguras para solicitar asilo, seguirán produciéndose situaciones como esta en la #FronteraSur de #Europa. #Melilla #Asilo pic.twitter.com/bVMW6jJOVb
— Jon Inarritu (@JonInarritu) December 30, 2018
The men are in a good condition and do not require healthcare.
Footage of the incident was posted online by Jon Inarritu who said: “As long as there are no safe routes to request asylum, situations like this will continue to occur in the southern border of Europe.”
Melilla is an enclave of Spain on the Moroccan coast and is a major gateway into Europe for migrants hoping to come to Europe from Africa.
It is the first time that border force agents have discovered migrants using a mattress as a way of concealing themselves.
Meanwhile in the UK, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has held talks with Whitehall chiefs, the National Crime Agency and Border Force officials to address the number of migrants crossing the English Channel.
An “enhanced action plan” to be launched this week will include increased joint patrols and surveillance, disruption of organised trafficking gangs and efforts to raise awareness among migrants of the dangers of a Channel crossing.
But Mr Javid faced accusations of over-egging the scale of the problem, with shadow home secretary Diane Abbott telling the Guardian: “There’s no question that with Brexit, and also with the approach of the meaningful vote in January, people are being whipped up about migration issues, because the Government thinks this is the best way of frightening people to vote for their deal.”
