Dozens of migrants arrived on a remote Spanish beach, charging ashore after being dropped off by a speedboat on August 27. Footage shows the vessel, carrying 52 people, reaching Cala de los Dentoles, also known as Cala Dorada, within the Calblanque Regional Park near Cartagena, Murcia, around 7:36 a.m. An environmental officer observed the arrival and alerted emergency services.
The Guardia Civil tracked the boat and launched an operation to intercept the disembarked individuals, ultimately locating 50 migrants. These individuals are expected to be transferred to the National Police for immigration processing.
This incident marks the third such arrival on the Cartagena coast in just over a week. On August 19, a boat arrived at Cala del Barco carrying 62 people, including 15 minors. More recently, on Saturday, another speedboat landed at Cala Dentoles with 49 migrants, comprising 39 adult men, one woman, and nine male minors.
Regional president Fernando López Miras criticized the situation on social media, stating, "Another speedboat carrying migrants arrived on the shores of the Region of Murcia this morning with complete impunity." He added, "The Spanish Government's dereliction of duty is unacceptable. The Guardia Civil cannot continue to lack the resources to stop the criminal gangs. We demand control of our coastline. This has to end now."
The regional cabinet is scheduled to meet in Cartagena to address the issue. The events in Murcia coincide with Spain's ongoing challenges in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco. In late July, Ceuta experienced a significant influx of over 70,000 migrants who arrived by sea.
Residents in Ceuta have expressed frustration, with some locals dismantling a makeshift migrant camp. Footage from mid-August showed men tearing down sheets used as shelter on a beach, with police present but not intervening. Spanish officials have met to develop a response plan for the remaining migrants in Ceuta, with guards preventing protesters from accessing a government building.
While most migrants from the July influx have returned to Morocco, an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 individuals remain in Ceuta, with many sleeping in public spaces and on beaches. Local residents have voiced concerns about insecurity, citing reports of sexual assault and hygiene issues, and have accused the central government of neglecting the enclave.