Mother with flippers swims to Ceuta with her son

A total of 32 Moroccan minors, including three girls, managed to swim into Ceuta in just over two days, crossing the Tarajal border breakwater, according to police and Ceuta government sources.

The children, including three girls, took advantage of the poor sea conditions and lack of security on the Moroccan side of the border. The Civil Guard participated in the rescue of several of these minors, who had great difficulty reaching the beaches.

Last week, the city welcomed 564 minors, representing overcrowding of 584%. This year, at least 638 minors entered the city illegally, compared to the 794 registered between January and September 2024. Seventy-five percent of these minors are housed in shelters or emergency facilities due to the collapse of the La Esperanza shelter.

Among those who entered Ceuta, the EFE news agency highlights the case of a 36-year-old mother with her 12-year-old son, who arrived on Sunday. The mother, equipped with fins, pushed her son to Tarajal beach, where the Civil Guard accompanied them. They were in good health, although a little tired from the clandestine crossing. Both mother and son, assisted by a surfboard, were transferred to the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI).

The mother claimed to have seen her son jump into the water from the Moroccan coast of Castillejos, the closest to Ceuta, and that she also jumped into the sea to help him cross and prevent anything bad from happening to him. This is the second similar incident in the city in recent weeks. On September 27th, a father and his 15-year-old son also swam across the Tarajal region.