A small boat carrying 26 migrants came ashore in full view of holidaymakers at a picturesque beach busy with tourists.
The vessel, with 20 men and six women on board, arrived at Cala Santanyí in Mallorca, Spain, at about 1.55pm on Friday.
Sunbathers were crowding the beach when lifeguards noticed the group approaching and quickly moved in to help.
As the boat reached the shoreline, some of those on board jumped into the sea, while others tried to make their way across the rocky headland.
Lifeguards assisted several people who had ended up in the water and were struggling to swim safely to shore.
Two Guardia Civil patrols arrived soon after to take control of the response, according to reports in local media.
All 26 people were said to be in good health, and no serious injuries were reported following the landing.
The Cala Santanyí arrival was one of four boats intercepted or rescued around Mallorca and Formentera within a matter of hours, bringing Friday’s total number of migrant arrivals to 75.
The small boat, carrying 20 men and six women, reached Cala Santanyí in Mallorca, Spain, at around 1.55pm on Friday
The beach was packed with sunseekers when lifeguards spotted the migrants and rushed to assist them
Shortly afterwards, two Guardia Civil patrols arrived at the scene to take charge of the situation
Two of the boats were carrying migrants of North African origin, while the other two were carrying migrants of sub-Saharan origin.
In the previous 24 hours, around 100 migrants had arrived irregularly on Mallorca’s shores, according to the Mallorca Island Council.
And on Saturday, five small boats carrying a total of 72 migrants reached Mallorca, Cabrera and Formentera.
According to figures compiled from information provided by Spain’s Interior Ministry and the Balearic Islands Government Delegation, 274 small boats carrying 5,095 migrants have reached the archipelago so far this year.
The president of the Mallorca Island Council, Llorenç Galmés, warned in a statement: ‘Mallorca cannot continue dealing alone with a situation that far exceeds its capacity.’
It comes as the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa is facing a mass migration crisis after 70,000 migrants stormed its beaches in late July.
Although most of those who entered Ceuta have now returned to Morocco, between 3,500 and 7,000 remain, with many living in shanty towns on the beach.
Law officers say the city has been suffering from almost daily outbreaks of violence, including attacks against the military and dozens of sexual assaults.
The Spanish ministry of equality confirmed 21 sexual assaults in the last month, five of which involved penetration and nine of which were committed against minors.
Salvador Ortega, a Ceutan local, told Our News Outlet that things have ‘worsened significantly’ in the past month.
‘There is a great deal of tension between the residents and the invaders,’ he added.
‘There have been confrontations between some residents and migrants, as well as incidents requiring intervention by law enforcement and security forces.
‘Acts of vandalism and episodes of violence have occurred, causing particular concern among the local population.’
Law enforcement officers say Ceuta has seen daily outbreaks of violence
Citizens of Ceuta protest against the migration crisis as the Red Cross distributes food
And a video emerged this week of migrants capturing a young dolphin swimming in shallow waters, hitting it with a stick to the horror of onlookers.
The video shared online shows a group of men crowding round the dolphin calf as it is held in the air ‘like a trophy’ and lifted above their heads as onlookers cheer – before enraged locals confront them.
One of the Spaniards shouts ‘No! No! No!’, warning the migrants that it is illegal to touch or eat the dolphin.
At least five members of the Guardia Civil have been injured since the ‘invasion’, according to Guillermo Jose Lorenzo, a spokesman for the local police trade union.
‘There are assaults when you go to identify people involved in a fight,’ he told Our News Outlet. ‘They turn on the officers. In some of these incidents, there have been injuries.’
He said that over time the prevailing mood has become darker.
‘In the first few days there weren’t so many clashes; they weren’t so burned out. They were euphoric about staying, about entering, and about staying. But now there is more trouble.
‘There’s also been an increase in robberies. They are more desperate because of their situation and because they don’t know what will become of them.’
The local police, the Guardia Civil, and the army are patrolling all areas of the city, and will intervene in fights.
‘But we lack clear instructions, procedures and legal backing when acting in any situation. So you don’t know what to do,’ said Snr Lorenzo.
‘Tension on the streets rises after nightfall. All the women carry pepper spray in their handbags – the shops have run out of it.’
