On Wednesday morning, an incident occurred in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta that surprised even veteran border control officers. A young man from sub-Saharan Africa took a desperate step: he tried to enter Spanish territory using a paraglider. All of this happened amid strong winds and heavy rain, making the flight particularly dangerous.
Border patrols monitoring the land border between Ceuta and Morocco spotted an unusual object in the sky. Officers immediately realized this was not a typical tourist flight, but an attempted illegal border crossing. They tracked the paragliderβs route from the ground to make sure they didnβt miss the landing.
After landing roughly halfway along the eight-kilometer stretch separating the Spanish enclave from Morocco, the young man was spotted by law enforcement. He was detained almost immediately after touching down. Despite the severe weather, the trespasser was unharmed and was taken to the station for further investigation.
This incident is already the second of its kind in recent weeks. In early October, another migrant also tried to enter Ceuta using a paraglider. That time, he managed to escape by abandoning the craft in the mountains and heading to a local migrant reception center. Border guards were unable to detain him, but the incident drew widespread attention.
The use of paragliders to cross borders is extremely rare, but it appears to be gaining popularity among those seeking new routes into Europe. Border authorities note that such attempts pose a serious risk not only to the migrants themselves but also to the security of the entire region.
