More than 50 children swim from Morocco to Spanish enclave in bid to reach Europe
Video footage on Spanish television channel RTVE showed Civil Guard launches making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam across to the enclave.
The children, who were mostly Moroccan, were taken to temporary centres in Ceuta, where authorities called for help from the central government in dealing with the latest arrivals.
"Don't leave us alone. This is a matter of state. This has to be resolved," Juan Rivas of the Ceuta regional government told reporters on Saturday.
On August 26 last year, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, local police said. In 2021, one boy was seen floating on empty plastic bottles in his attempt to reach Ceuta.
Spain's two enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the European Union's only land borders with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe.
Moroccan nationals detained during the crossings are immediately sent back to Morocco unless they are underage or seeking asylum.
People from other nationalities are taken to special centres where they are given shelter and released after a few days.
Three years ago, at least 23 people died in a stampede when about 2,000 migrants tried to storm into Melilla, pushing down the border fence.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Faced with hardships at home, Ethiopians risk dangerous seas for a better life elsewhere
The deadly shipwreck in waters off Yemen's coast over the weekend is weighing heavily on the hearts of many in Ethiopia. Twelve migrants on the boat that carried 154 Ethiopians survived the tragedy — at least 68 died and 74 remain missing. When Solomon Gebremichael heard about Sunday's disaster, it brought back heartbreaking memories — he had lost a close friend and a brother to illegal migration years ago. "I understand the pain all too well,' Gebremichae told The Associated Press at his home in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. Although Ethiopia has been relatively stable since the war in the country's Tigray region ended in 2022, youth unemployment is currently at over 20%, leading many to risk dangerous waters trying to reach the wealthy Gulf Arab countries, seeking a better life elsewhere. Mesel Kindeya made the crossing in 2016 via the same sea route as the boat that capsized on Sunday, traveling without papers on harrowing journeys arranged by smugglers from Ethiopia to Saudi Arabia. 'We could barely breathe,' she remembers of her own sea crossing. 'Speaking up could get us thrown overboard by smugglers. I deeply regret risking my life, thinking it would improve my situation.' Kindeya made it to Saudi Arabia and worked as a maid for six months, before she was captured by authorities, and imprisoned for eight months. By the time she was deported back to Ethiopia, she had barely managed to earn back the initial cost of her journey. 'Despite the hardships of life, illegal immigration is just not a solution,' she says. Over the past years, hundreds of migrants have died in shipwrecks off Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished country that has been engulfed in a civil war since September 2014. 'This shows the desperation of the situation in Ethiopia for many people,' according to Teklemichael Ab Sahlemariam, a human rights lawyer practicing in Addis Ababa. 'They are pushed to head to a war-torn nation like Yemen and onward to Saudi Arabia or Europe," he told the AP. 'I know of many who have perished.' And many of those who get caught and are sent back to Ethiopia try and make the crossing again. ' People keep going back, even when they are deported, facing financial extortion and subjected to sexual exploitation,' the lawyer said. Ethiopia's foreign ministry in a statement on Monday urged Ethiopians 'to use legal avenues in securing opportunities." "We warn citizens not to take the illegal route in finding such opportunities and avoid the services of traffickers at all cost,' the statement said. African Union spokesperson Nuur Mohamud Sheek called for urgent collective action in a post on social media "to tackle the root causes of irregular migration and the upholding of migrant rights and to prevent further loss of life.' Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa countries. About 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen last year, down from 97,200 in 2023 — a drop that has been attributed to greater patrolling of the waters, according to a March report by the U.N.'s migration agency, the International Organization for Migration. In March, at least two migrants died and 186 others were missing after four boats capsized off Yemen and Djibouti, according to the IOM. ___
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Iran asks Taliban for ‘kill list' so it can hunt down MI6 spies
Leaders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards have asked the Taliban for access to a leaked list of Afghans who helped Britain so they can hunt down MI6 spies. The Tehran regime hopes to examine the list of nearly 25,000 Afghans who worked with British forces as they seek leverage with the West ahead of nuclear negotiations this autumn. The so-called 'kill list' contains the names of Afghans who were applying for asylum, including soldiers who had worked with the British Army, intelligence assets and special forces. Some are believed to have subsequently fled to Iran. In a sign that the two sides are already collaborating, at least one Afghan whose name was allegedly on the list has been deported from Iran to Kabul in the past few days. A senior Iranian official in Tehran confirmed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had formally requested that the Taliban government share the leaked list. It is understood that MI6 intelligence assets will take priority in the search. He said: 'On the Iranian side, there are also efforts to find the list, with a special committee assigned for it. There have been discussions on cooperation between Tehran and Kabul on this issue as it can help both countries for negotiations with the West.' The Telegraph understands that Taliban leadership in Kandahar has also ordered officers in Kabul to arrest as many individuals as possible from the leaked document to use them as leverage in exerting diplomatic pressure on London. The database was accidentally leaked in February 2022 when a Royal Marine emailed the complete file to Afghan contacts in Britain instead of sending a small extract. The spreadsheet contained names, telephone numbers and email addresses of Afghan soldiers, government workers and family members who applied to relocate to Britain under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy after the 2021 Western military withdrawal. The list also included identities of more than 100 British special forces personnel and MI6 operatives who had vouched for Afghan applicants. A Taliban government official told The Telegraph that they obtained the spreadsheet in 2022. Speaking to this newspaper last month, he said: 'After the reports were published in England, it became clear how significant this leak was. The order is to arrest as many individuals as possible to use them as a tool of diplomatic pressure against England.' The IRGC's demand comes after Britain, France and Germany threatened Tehran with a so-called snapback mechanism, which would restore UN Security Council resolutions against Iran, if no progress is made on negotiations over its nuclear programme by August 30. The most significant resolution that would return is 1929, adopted in June 2010, which expanded sanctions beyond technical nuclear restrictions to target Iran's broader economy. The resolution required all UN members to take 'all necessary measures' to enforce Iran's enrichment ban and ballistic missile restrictions. Iran has refused to abandon uranium enrichment that could ultimately lead to a nuclear weapon, despite a bombing campaign by Israel and the US last month. Iranian authorities want to check borders and detain Afghans in Iran whose names appear on the list, with particular focus on those who worked as intelligence operatives, according to the Iranian official. He said: 'There is an urgency to find as many of them as possible before the snapback deadlines arrive to use them as backdoor bargaining tools.' A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'We take the safety of our personnel very seriously and personnel, particularly those in sensitive positions, always have appropriate measures in place to protect their security. 'The independent Rimmer Review concluded that it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet means an individual is more likely to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its super-injunction.' David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, is prepared to trigger sanctions against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, The Telegraph revealed last year. The UK remains a participant in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and can unilaterally force a return to sanctions if it considers Iran has violated the deal's terms. At least one Afghan whose name appeared on the leaked list, and who had escaped to Iran after the leak, was detained for deportation on Friday. His son was ill, and his wife and two daughters remained in Iran, the deported man said, 'unable even to go out and buy bread.' 'They arrested me on the street, handcuffed me, and sent me to a deportation camp,' he told The Telegraph from Kabul. 'I pleaded with them. I told them my life would be in danger in Afghanistan. I shouted, 'Where are human rights?' But they didn't care. They sent me straight to the border.' 'They can come and kill me any moment' He questioned whether the Government was truly unaware of what was happening in Iran. 'There are many people like me there – being deported, being arrested,' he said. 'The British know all of this. If they wanted to help, they would've done it already. But they don't want to.' Now in Kabul, he said he was constantly on the move, hiding in a different place each night, afraid for his own safety and for his family left behind in Iran. 'They can come and kill me any moment,' he said. 'But it doesn't matter to anyone any more. That's just my life now.' He expressed bitter frustration over the UK's resettlement priorities. 'I hope the Brits are happy – they took cooks and masseurs to Britain, but those who lost their eyes serving British forces, and many more are left behind,' he said. 'Maybe that's what they wanted. I just regret not realising it sooner.' He asked how it was possible that the Government – 'once rulers of half the world – could remain blind to the situation'. 'They took cooks, but left behind generals and colonels,' he said. 'What kind of logic is that?' The Telegraph has revealed that former Taliban members were brought to the UK on British evacuation flights from Afghanistan after the leak. The individuals were flown out for their safety, but among them were suspected jihadists, sex offenders, corrupt officials, and people previously jailed by US-led forces – raising concerns over poor vetting. Insiders say some Afghans are also exploiting a family reunion scheme set up after the leak and are using it to enter the UK under false pretences. The Telegraph understands that evacuated migrants are offering people in Afghanistan help to get to Britain, including fake family links for up to £20,000 per person. Iran is using espionage allegations against Afghans as a pretext for the mass arrests and deportations following the recent conflict with Israel. The Telegraph spoke to Afghans in Iran, at the border, and in Afghanistan, who said the regime in Tehran was targeting them to divert public attention from its 'humiliation' by Israel in last month's 12-day war. During the conflict, daily deportations jumped from 2,000 to over 30,000 as Iranian authorities turned public anger toward the vulnerable minority. Those persecuted by the regime also reported suffering widespread abuses including beatings and arbitrary detention. The Government imposed a super-injunction in September 2023 preventing media coverage of the data breach, which has been described as one of the most damaging intelligence leaks in recent history. The injunction was extended before last year's election, despite a judge's decision to lift it in May 2024. Johnny Mercer, the former Conservative veterans minister who served in Afghanistan, called the leak 'gut-wrenching.' The Government established an emergency scheme called the Afghanistan Response Route in March 2024 to airlift people named in the breach to the UK. The total relocation program for Afghans could cost up to £7bn of taxpayers' money.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Migrant hotel protests: Police braced for further violence across country with more demonstrations planned
Police are braced for further protests and disorder across the UK, as anti-migrant demonstrations continue outside hotels housing asylum-seekers. At least four protests have been organised for the upcoming week in locations such as Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth, with tensions rising further after clashes over the weekend. It comes amid warnings that the Metropolitan Police could be 'tested to the limit' on Saturday, when pro-Palestine Action supporters have been urged to turn up en masse in central London, in defiance of anti-terror laws. Protests first began last month outside The Bell Hotel in Epping after an Ethiopian refugee residing there, Hadush Kebatu, was charged with sexual assault for allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Since then, far-right demonstrators have clashed with police and counter-protesters in Diss, Manchester, Edinburgh and outside the Barbican in London. On Sunday, a group wearing face masks and carrying smoke bombs made a 'concerted effort' to break into the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, which is currently housing refugees. Police forces are expected to be stretched at the weekend, as a separate pro-Palestine march is also scheduled for Saturday and anti-immigration protests are scheduled to continue. It is unclear if the Metropolitan Police will call on mutual aid from neighboring forces, with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) saying they are working 'closely' with partners at a national and local level. The Telegraph reports that hundreds of people are set to descend on London to support Palestine Action, after they were proscribed as a terrorist organisation. The group has claimed responsibility for damaging aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in June. Membership or expressing support for the group is now a criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison. With the possibility that the police may have to arrest hundreds of protesters on Saturday, there are fears that capacity in custody cells could quickly run out. Sir Keir Starmer 's spokesperson said that while the public have a right to protest, they would 'never tolerate unlawful or violent behaviour or intimidatory behavior'. Tensions over migration have further escalated after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and George Finch, the 19-year-old leader of Warwickshire County Council, claimed there had been a 'cover up' of details about an alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. Two men have been charged in relation to the alleged incident in the Warwickshire town. Warwickshire Police has not released the immigration status of the two suspects. Mr Finch said he would be working to 'fight against' houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) that are housing 'illegal immigrants' and also claimed that Reform UK need to 'change things' and are 'the last line of defence against the blob, the cover-ups'. In his letter to Ms Cooper, published on X on Sunday, Mr Finch claimed that a 'cover-up' of immigration status 'risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire'. 'Having my ear to the ground locally, it is clear that there is much appetite for protests to take place across the County,' the letter adds. When asked if the police should release the ethnicity of people when charged, a No10 spokesperson said that it was important to be as 'transparent as possible', and described the case as 'deeply upsetting and distressing'. Meanwhile, border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said that protests outside hotels must not be used to 'have a pop at the police' and insisted that Labour were working to close asylum hotels. She added that the Government was 'doing the detailed work' to crack down on small boat crossings, after the Home Office unveiled its plan to pump an extra £100 million into tackling people smuggling. With both a protest and a counter-demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism in Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, Dorset Police said they would seek to ensure people can exercise their right to protest legally, without disruption. 'We will seek to enable peaceful protests, but public order or criminal offences will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly,' a spokesperson said. An NPCC spokesperson said: 'Policing is committed to upholding and facilitating the right to peaceful protest. Where possible, we will work with event organisers and any other affected groups to facilitate protests and minimise serious disruption to communities. 'We are working closely with partners at a national, regional and local level to monitor the latest information and intelligence to ensure we are best placed to respond should we see any incidents that escalate into disorder and criminality. 'We have robust and well-tested proactive plans in place, with the ability to mobilise significant and specialist resources, if necessary. "Public order response officers will be supported by investigation teams who will gather evidence and ensure those responsible for any acts of criminality, should they occur, are identified and held to account.'
