Multiple bodies found with hands and feet tied in the Mediterranean Sea off Spain
Spanish authorities have launched an investigation after discovering multiple corpses in the Mediterranean Sea whose hands and feet had been tied, police said on Monday.
According to regional daily Diario de Mallorca, since mid-May Civil Guard boats have spotted at least five bodies with their feet and hands bound. Police suspect that the victims may be migrants from North Africa, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.
Diario de Mallorca quoted investigators as saying that the migrants may have been tied up and thrown into the sea during the crossing, potentially due to a dispute with their smugglers.
The investigation into suspected homicide aims to identify the victims and work out the causes of their death, a Civil Guard spokeswoman told AFP.
The discovery shows "the cruelest side" of the irregular migration route, regional president Marga Prohens told local media.
Although most of the tens of thousands of Europe-bound migrants Spain receives arrive via the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, hundreds attempt the shorter crossing from north Africa to the Balearic archipelago in the Mediterranean.
Authorities said 31 bodies had been found in the waters and beaches of the archipelago between January and June of this year, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported earlier this month.
A Guardia Civil boat, on July 11, 2024 in Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
Isaac Buj/Europa Press via Getty Images
In 2023, the United Nation's International Organization for Migration recorded 8,542 migrant deaths around the world – with 37% of these deaths occurring in the Mediterranean.
There have also been dramatic rescues in the region. Earlier this month, a charity ship rescued more than 50 migrants from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean, where one woman gave birth, according to the Spain-based NGO Open Arms.
And in January, the Spanish coastguard rescued a baby that was born on an inflatable vessel carrying migrants to the Canary Islands.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Children among migrants swimming from Morocco to Spanish enclave
STORY: :: Dozens of adults and children attempt to swim from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta :: Ceuta, Spain :: July 26, 2025 :: July 25, 2025 Video footage showed Civil Guard boats making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam across to the enclave. The children, who were mostly Moroccan, were taken to temporary centres in Ceuta, where authorities called for help from the central government in dealing with the latest arrivals. Spain's two enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the European Union's only land borders with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe. Moroccan nationals detained during the crossings are immediately sent back to Morocco unless they are underage or seeking asylum. People from other nationalities are taken to special centers where they are given shelter and released after a few days. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
More than 50 children swim from Morocco to Spanish enclave of Ceuta
At least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in rough seas and fog, Spanish television reported on Saturday. Video footage on Spanish television channel RTVE showed Civil Guard launches making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam across to the enclave. The children, who were mostly Moroccan, were taken to temporary centers in Ceuta, where authorities called for help from the central government in dealing with the latest arrivals. 'Don't leave us alone. This is a matter of state. This has to be resolved,' Juan Rivas of the Ceuta regional government told reporters on Saturday. On August 26 last year, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta from neighboring Morocco, local police said. In 2021, one boy was seen floating on empty plastic bottles in his attempt to reach Ceuta. Spain's two enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the European Union's only land borders with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe. Moroccan nationals detained during the crossings are immediately sent back to Morocco unless they are underage or seeking asylum. People from other nationalities are taken to special centers where they are given shelter and released after a few days. Three years ago, at least 23 people died in a stampede when about 2,000 migrants tried to storm into Melilla, pushing down the border fence.
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
More than 50 children swim from Morocco to Spanish enclave of Ceuta
At least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in rough seas and fog, Spanish television reported on Saturday. Video footage on Spanish television channel RTVE showed Civil Guard launches making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam across to the enclave. The children, who were mostly Moroccan, were taken to temporary centers in Ceuta, where authorities called for help from the central government in dealing with the latest arrivals. 'Don't leave us alone. This is a matter of state. This has to be resolved,' Juan Rivas of the Ceuta regional government told reporters on Saturday. On August 26 last year, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta from neighboring Morocco, local police said. In 2021, one boy was seen floating on empty plastic bottles in his attempt to reach Ceuta. Spain's two enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the European Union's only land borders with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe. Moroccan nationals detained during the crossings are immediately sent back to Morocco unless they are underage or seeking asylum. People from other nationalities are taken to special centers where they are given shelter and released after a few days. Three years ago, at least 23 people died in a stampede when about 2,000 migrants tried to storm into Melilla, pushing down the border fence.
