The number of migrant boats attempting to reach southern Spain continues to rise amid the ongoing migration crisis in Ceuta, with another 14 people rescued in the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday.
Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo rescued the group, all adults, travelling aboard a small inflatable boat and two kayaks in three separate operations.
The latest crossings follow the rescue of another six men travelling in two kayaks on Wednesday, as authorities respond to a renewed flow of small boats, jet skis and other vessels attempting to reach the Campo de Gibraltar.
Thursday’s first rescue began at 8.23am, when the Salvamar Denebola located a small inflatable boat carrying ten people around five miles southeast of Punta Carnero, Algeciras.
Just 13 minutes later, at 8.36am, its crew found another two people travelling in a kayak nearby.
All 12 were taken aboard the rescue vessel and brought to the Dársena del Saladillo in Algeciras at 10.08am.
They received initial medical assistance and were reported to be in apparently good health before being handed over to the Policía Nacional.
Third boat spotted by merchant ship
At around 11.25am, a merchant vessel alerted Salvamento Marítimo after spotting another kayak in the Strait.
The Salvamar Denebola was dispatched once again and reached the two occupants at 11.58am.
They were brought into Algeciras shortly after midday, where medical teams and police were waiting.
All three operations were coordinated by Salvamento Marítimo’s rescue coordination centre in Tarifa.
The incidents came just a day after six North African migrants, all adult men, were rescued from two separate kayaks in the Strait. They were subsequently taken to Ceuta and Algeciras.
Strait route reactivates amid Ceuta crisis
The latest rescues form part of a noticeable increase in crossings towards the Campo de Gibraltar during recent weeks, coinciding with the migration crisis that has gripped Ceuta since late July.
Over the past fortnight, dozens of migrants have attempted to cross from Morocco and Ceuta aboard pateras, small boats, kayaks and jet skis.
The increase became particularly apparent during the first days of August following the surge of attempted entries into Ceuta, prompting authorities to strengthen surveillance along the Campo de Gibraltar coastline.
There are concerns that some of the migration pressure around the Spanish enclave is now spilling over into the Strait, with departures from northern Morocco towards mainland Spain increasing again.
Punta Carnero, on the southern outskirts of Algeciras, has emerged as one of the principal landing areas.
Last Friday, Guardia Civil officers intercepted a boat carrying eight North African migrants shortly after it reached land in the area. The suspected skipper was arrested.
Days earlier, another vessel carrying an estimated 15 to 20 people reached Cala Secreta, close to the Punta Carnero lighthouse, shortly after sunrise.
Authorities have also detected several arrivals involving jet skis and other small vessels along the coasts of San Roque and La Línea de la Concepción.
The latest activity suggests the short but dangerous Strait of Gibraltar route has become increasingly active again as Spanish authorities contend with the wider migration pressure surrounding Ceuta.
