By
The Associated Press
Spanish authorities are searching for a person who paraglided across the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, in what appears to be a creative new way of migrating illegally into European territory.
Two citizens denounced the presence of the paraglider on Thursday afternoon, said Eder Barandiaran, a press officer for the Spanish government's delegation in Melilla, one of two Spanish enclaves in North Africa.
The person landed and fled, so the authorities suspect that it is a migrant.
So far his identity and nationality are unknown, but images of the paraglider circulated on social networks on Thursday.
The border with Melilla has been at the center of a scandal since June, when 23 people died as hundreds of migrants and refugees tried to force their way in and caused a stampede.
Moroccan police fired tear gas and hit some men with their batons, including some who were on the ground.
[They rescue three migrants who traveled 11 days at the helm of a huge oil tanker]
Spanish authorities have been accused of illegally forcing some migrants to return to Morocco, violating their right to seek asylum.
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Several press investigations of the June incident based on videos and photos found that some deaths could have taken place on Spanish soil, something the interior minister has repeatedly denied.
Of the
more than 29,000 migrants
who have arrived in Spain without authorization by land or sea so far this year, some 1,300 have done so through Melilla, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry.
