A GIBRALTAR teenager has been arrested on suspicion of ferrying migrants from Ceuta in a speedboat in an incident that has triggered a diplomatic dispute between Gibraltar and Spain.
The 19-year-old was arrested after a dramatic pursuit by the Guardia Civil in Spanish waters ended with a suspected migrant-smuggling vessel entering Gibraltar’s port.
The incident on Friday marks the first known arrival in Gibraltar linked to the movement of migrants from Ceuta since the border crisis began in late July.
According to the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP), two vessels were pursued by Spanish authorities over their alleged involvement in migrant smuggling.
One of the boats eventually entered the Gibraltar harbour area, where its occupants abandoned it and made their way ashore near the Peter Isola promenade.
The RGP was alerted at around 6pm after a member of the public reported seeing a Guardia Civil vessel towing an abandoned boat into the harbour.
RGP land and marine units recovered the vessel from the Spanish authorities and subsequently arrested the local man on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration.
In a statement released on Friday evening, the RGP said: “At about 1805hrs today, the Royal Gibraltar Police received information from a member of the public regarding a Spanish Guardia Civil vessel towing a vessel that had been abandoned within Gibraltar Harbour waters after its occupants had jumped ashore by Peter Isola promenade.
“RGP land and marine assets responded to the area, with the crew on board RGP Marine interceptor Sir Francis Richards recovering the vessel in question from the Guardia Civil within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW).
“The Spanish registered vessel, together with a 2nd Spanish registered vessel also crewed by 2 persons, had been pursued by Spanish authorities into BGTW for their alleged involvement in illicit migrant smuggling activities.
“Durin the course of the incident, RGP officers arrested a 19-year-old local man on suspicion of Assisting Illegal Immigration, whilst officers from HM Customs Marine Unit stopped the 2nd vessel being pursued by Spanish authorities, and detained its 2 occupants whilst the vessel was searched and documentation was checked, after which they were released.”
The incident has since developed into a political dispute over Gibraltar’s territorial waters.
The Gibraltar government said it had received footage showing a Guardia Civil vessel entering water it claims as its own jurisdiction, describing the situation as ‘potentially very serious’.
It later referred to the Spanish patrol boat’s presence as an ‘incursion’.
In a post on X, opposition leader Keith Azopardi said: “Concerning footage of a Guardia Civil vessel in our port. Clear operation wasn’t originally coordinated with our authorities. That’s unacceptable.”
The sovereignty of the waters surrounding Gibraltar remains disputed, despite the recent post-Brexit treaty, with Spain and Gibraltar holding opposing positions over its jurisdiction.
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