Criticism Grows on Social Media Over Vacationers' 'Excessive Response'
As attempts by African refugees to migrate to Europe continue, a new incident has been reported in which immigrants attempting illegal entry landed on the beach of Granada in southern Spain, and some vacationers ran to apprehend them. A video capturing this scene has spread through social networking services (SNS), sparking criticism from some quarters that the response was excessive. On August 4 (local time), British media outlet The Sun and other foreign media reported that a speedboat arrived near Castel de Ferro Sotillo beach in the Granada region of Spain, and 13 male migrants, believed to be from Morocco, jumped off the boat.
At the time these individuals landed, Castel de Ferro beach was crowded with people enjoying their summer holidays. The immigrants began to flee as soon as they reached the shore. Some vacationers who witnessed the scene filmed it with their mobile phones, while others directly intervened to apprehend the immigrants. Those caught by the vacationers were handed over to the police and the local civil guard, who arrived shortly after. A restaurant owner present at the scene told a local media outlet, "We thought it was just a recreational boat, but when they started throwing things into the water and people began coming out of the sea, we realized something was wrong."
Criticism Spreads on SNS Over Vacationers' Actions as 'Excessive Behavior'
The footage quickly spread on SNS, and local media outlet 101 TV Granada reported on the video, further fueling the controversy. Online commenters criticized the incident, saying, "Instead of offering a glass of water to people who risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean, they ran to catch them," "Are these people really threatening the country?" and "True courage is not stopping innocent people, but standing up to those in power." Some even harshly criticized the vacationers, calling them "facha (far-right extremists) of the beach." On the other hand, some users argued, "If someone lands from a speedboat like that, anyone would try to stop them."
On August 5, Jose Antonio Montilla, Deputy Representative of the Granada Provincial Government, stated, "Nine of the immigrants who were on the boat are currently being held at a Temporary Center for Foreigners (CATE), and deportation procedures are underway." Montilla also explained, "This is only the second case this year of immigrants landing on the Granada coast," emphasizing that such attempts at illegal entry are rare in the region.
According to Spain's overall maritime illegal entry statistics, from January to the end of July this year, 18,657 people entered the country by sea. This figure represents a decrease of about 32% compared to the same period last year, when 27,640 people arrived. In particular, the number of arrivals in Spain's island regions dropped by as much as 46% compared to the previous year.
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