Paraglider crosses border from Morocco into Spanish territory; disappears mysteriously

In a weird incident, a paraglider crossed over the border fence from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Melilla in what is being speculated as an attempt to migrate into European territory, and then disappeared. Spanish police on Friday launched a hunt for the man who, according to the footage obtained by El Faro newspaper, landed near a fence using the rare method as he entered the Spanish territory.

He then started running and vanished, and his whereabouts are still unknown. The officials suspect that this was a conscious attempt to reach Europe using a paraglider. 

Two citizens reported seeing the paraglider landing

At least two citizens reported seeing the paraglider landing on Thursday afternoon, Eder Barandiaran, a press officer for Spain’s government delegation in Melilla, told the Spanish-based paper. The man's identity and nationality are still unknown. Spain's Melilla has been in the spotlight for migrant plight after nearly 23 people died on its soil in June.

Spain's interior minister reaffirmed this week at a presser that no deaths occurred on Spanish soil when migrants stormed the enclave of Melilla from Morocco in the month of June. His remarks came as the European press and leading newspapers including the Spanish daily El Pais published a report that as per the investigation one migrant died on the Spanish side of the border as they attempted to cross into the country. 

Footage of the man landing via paraglider was first confirmed as authentic by La Cadena SER in Melilla. The press agency said that young people present at the time along the border perimeter ring road said that they saw a man descend from a parachute coming from the Moroccan side of the border. They claimed that the paraglider crossed the six-meter-high fence and landed in Spanish territory. 

"We have seen a kind of silhouette bigger than a bird," an eyewitness who first shot the visuals that have now gone viral on social media told Cadena SER Melilla. "He landed, took off his parachute and ran off," the eyewitness said about the infiltrator. 

Riot police cordon off an area after migrants crossed the fences separating the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco on 24 June. Credit: AP

Spain's Government Delegation in Melilla told the local reporters that the incident took place around 6.15 pm local time on Thursday. Guardia Civil patrols were dispatched to the area immediately to take stock of the situation but they were unable to locate the migrant. The man's identity could not be established. Melilla border is known for migrant spillover and Spanish authorities are accused of unlawfully pushing back some migrants to Morocco, allegedly violating their right to seek asylum by the rights groups.