The phenomenon of illegal migration by paraglider has moved to the forefront of political debate in Spain, after members of the People's Party raised the issue in parliament, describing those carrying out these operations as "flying migrants," referring to individuals who managed to enter the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla by paragliding over the border fences.
Party representatives from the two cities, including Javier Celaya, submitted a series of questions to the Spanish government, demanding clarification on the security services' ability to detect this type of aerial crossing and the availability of technical equipment capable of intercepting such attempts, following incidents recorded last October in Ceuta, in addition to two previous incidents in Melilla in 2022 and 2023.
The MPs also inquired about the fate of those who successfully entered the two cities in this manner, asking whether they were returned to Morocco. They further demanded clarification on whether there was any coordination or joint investigation with Rabat to uncover the possibility of an organized network supplying paragliding equipment to those wishing to migrate, considering it a “new method of illegal entry.”
These parliamentary moves coincided with the spread of videos posted by the migrants themselves on social media platforms, showing them preparing to take off from Moroccan territory towards Ceuta. Spanish security sources considered these scenes evidence of individual planning and reliance on self-reliance, rather than professional smuggling networks.
Despite the controversy, the Civil Guard does not consider this method a “consistent route” that could constitute a worrying wave of migration, but rather an extension of the dangerous crossing attempts undertaken by some migrants. Cases involving migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been recorded, while others of North African origin have been returned to their countries of origin after being apprehended.
