A crew of Spanish police officials are being heavily criticized after they chased down and ran over an inflatable dinghy carrying migrants.
According to The Telegraph, the incident happened last weekend when the dinghy carrying four migrants appeared off the coast of Morocco. As the group cruised near Horcas Coloradas Beach in Melilla, a Spanish territory of northern Africa, a large Guardia Civil boat attempted to block them from heading to the shoreline.
The police boat was then seen plowing in the inflatable vessel, sending those on board into the water.
The shocking situation was caught on video
El momento en el que la Guardia Civil pasa por encima de la lancha en la que hay 4 personas. pic.twitter.com/0zpobU0EAk
— Youssef M. Ouled (@ymouled) August 26, 2024
The four migrants were quickly rescued from the water, with one of them reportedly hospitalized in the city of Nador. Spanish police officials revealed to The Guardian that the migrants had allegedly been trying to enter the country “irregularly.”
The migrants were later arrested. They were notably handed over to Moroccan officials.
Although one of the migrants being allegedly hospitalized in the incident, police officials say no one was hurt or injured.
Upon seeing the video, many local activists and elected officials were outraged. They then called for an investigation into whether the police handled the boat chase properly.
Aina Vidal, who is a parliamentary spokesman for Spain’s coalition government of Sumar, was among those speaking out. Vidal stated the incident was an “intolerable human disaster.”
Jon Iñarritu of EH Bildu also referred to the boat collision as “new savagery.”
“We will request the urgent appearance of the Minister of the @interiorgob before the Interior Commission of Congress,” Iñarritu wrote in a tweet. “To explain the measures that have been taken in response to this action.”
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights Speaks Out About Police Boat Incident
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights shared that police in Morocco had also confirmed there had been no fatalities during the policeboat incident.
However, the organization described the ordeal as “violent and dangerous.”
“Yet no investigation has been opened to date on the Spanish side,” the organization pointed out. It then called out the police. “The Spaniards are totally responsible and must take responsibility for opening an investigation.”
Despite calls for an investigation, a source with the interior ministry stated it was not contemplating opening any kind of internal investigation into what happened in between the police and migrants.