Crying migrant boy uses plastic bottles to stay afloat in his desperate bid to reach Spanish

Crying migrant boy uses plastic bottles to stay afloat in his desperate bid to reach Spanish

A weeping migrant boy used plastic bottles to stay afloat during a desperate bid to reach a Spanish enclave.

Footage captured on Wednesday shows the youngster crying as he paddled towards the shore and clung to a buoy, surrounded by floating soda bottles attached to his waist.

The boy was one of thousands of people who attempted to make the crossing from Morocco into the Spanish city of Ceuta this week – after the African deliberately removed border guards and allowed the stampede to make a political point.

Cueta is on the African mainland and a short swim around a promontory from Morocco, and the move by Rabat sparked accusations of ‘aggression’ and ‘blackmail’ from Madrid.

As he left the water yesterday, the boy darted across the beach past Spanish soldiers and attempted to scale a wall barefoot before being detained.

Since Monday, a record 8,000 migrants have crossed into Ceuta from Morocco, prompting chaotic scenes as authorities struggled to manage the unprecedented influx.

The mass movement comes amid a diplomatic row between the two countries over Spain’s decision to provide medical treatment to a militant leader who has been fighting Morocco for decades.

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After he left the water, the boy darted across the beach past Spanish soldiers and attempted to scale a wall barefoot before he was detained

On Thursday, Spain accused Morocco of ‘blackmail’ for allowing the migrants to reach Ceuta.

Spanish authorities were caught by surprise on Monday when thousands of mostly young people began swimming or using inflatable rubber rings and dinghies to cross the border, with Moroccan forces appearing to look the other way.

Madrid moved quickly to return most of the migrants and calm has largely returned to the beach of El Tarajal in Ceuta, where hundreds of soldiers in armoured vehicles have been deployed.

The outskirts of Fnideq, a Moroccan border town, were deserted on Thursday under a heavy security presence following scuffles on Wednesday night.

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Hundreds of Moroccan youths threw stones at Moroccan forces guarding the border, forcing them to retreat, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported.

A motorcycle was also set alight by the young people.

The enormous influx of people into Ceuta comes amid strained relations between Madrid and Rabat over the former’s decision to provide medical treatment for Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front, who has Covid-19.

The armed group has fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony mainly under Moroccan control, for decades.

Since Monday, a record 8,000 migrants have crossed into Ceuta from Morocco, prompting scenes of panic and distress as authorities struggled to manage the unprecedented influx. Pictured: Arrivals gathered outside a warehouse as they wait to be tested for coronavirus at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Wednesday

A view of the Albergue de Piniers where around 800 unaccompanied migrant children are being housed after arriving in Spain

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Madrid moved quickly to return most of the migrants and calm has largely returned to the beach of El Tarajal (pictured Thursday) in Ceuta, where hundreds of soldiers in armoured vehicles have been deployed

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