BY RENATA BRITO AND ARITZ PARRA, Associated Press
Something seemed wrong to the guard inspecting sealed bags of toxic ash in the port of Melilla, one of Spain’s two small territories in North Africa. So he pulled a knife, cut the bag open and found a motionless leg, confirming his suspicion that a person was inside.
He lifted and dropped the leg a few times, with no reaction. A few moments passed. Suddenly the leg pulled back, and a young man emerged from the ashes — frightened and disoriented, but alive.
In this image taken from video made available by the Guardia Civil, an officer of the Guardia Civil helps a man out from under glass bottles in a container in Melilla, Spain, Friday Feb. 19, 2021. Spanish authorities say they have found and rescued 41 migrants who tried to reach continental Europe from North Africa in the past four days, some of them hiding inside a container of discarded glass bottles and a bag of toxic ash. (Guardia Civil via AP)
The disturbing scene from a video released Monday by Spain’s Civil Guard highlighted the great lengths and risks that migrants and asylum seekers take in their desperate attempts to reach Europe.
The survivor was among 41 people found hiding amid cargo in Melilla’s port area on Friday, attempting to sneak aboard a ship that would take them across the Mediterranean Sea to mainland Spain.
Four of them were discovered buried in recycling containers beneath glass bottles, some broken with sharp edges.
With the help of search dogs and microphones to detect heartbeats, police often find people hiding amid the cargo, from containers to cement mixers. This year alone, the Civil Guard said it has identified 1,781 migrants trespassing in Melilla port’s security perimeter; last year, the number was 11,700.
Still, discoveries like those last week are unsettling for the most experienced officers.
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