Migrant taxi boat arrives at popular beach before nine men jump off and wade ashore.TA
Children were playing a stone’s throw away as the migrants, who had travelled on a boat, arrived on the popular beach.
Spain: Migrant boat arrives at popular beach in Níjar
Sunseekers were left stunned as a group of migrants waded ashore at an idyllic beach in Spain. Shocking footage shows the nine men jumping from a ‘taxi boat’ yards from the shore, before making their way through the shallow waters and onto the beach while children play nearby.
The scenes were reportedly filmed at Playa de San José in Níjar, south-east Spain, on Saturday (September 6). The beach is in the heart of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. The coastline of Níjar, in Almería Province, is a popular arrival point for boats travelling from North Africa.
Children were playing nearby as the migrants made their way off a ‘taxi beach’ (Image: Jam Press)
Nine migrants got off the ‘taxi boat’ at Playa de San José in Níjar, south-east Spain (Image: Jam Press)
The incident came just a week after Spanish authorities rescued nine Algerian men from a boat around 41 miles off the coast.
The vessel departed from Oran, north-west Algeria, and had been adrift for 38 hours, according to reports.
Anger over illegal immigration reached a high point in Britain over the weekend.
The migrants reportedly arrived at the beach in south-east Spain on Saturday (September 6) (Image: Jam Press)
Crowds of masked men blocked road access to the Port of Dover in a “stop the boats” protest on Saturday.
This was followed by official vehicles being damaged and a handful of police officers being injured in a tense stand-off with anti-migrant protesters overnight on Sunday in Portsmouth.
Almería Province remains the main point of irregular entry along the Andalusian coastline.
Although figures for 2026 show a decline compared with the previous year, migrant landings and rescues have continued week after week.
During August, boats carrying more than 150 people in total reached or were intercepted along the Almería coast.
Local media reports that western Almería has also become a hotspot for an illegal trade in fake documents linked to immigration procedures.
Criminal networks are allegedly helping migrants obtain legal status using fake address registrations, sham rental agreements and bogus jobs.
Nearby towns including Roquetas de Mar, El Ejido and Vícar have reportedly become hubs for the trade.
Police investigations have uncovered hundreds of allegedly fraudulent documents and registrations.
In Roquetas de Mar, Operation “Tabula Rasa” led to 18 arrests and uncovered 188 fraudulent address registrations.
Donations flood in as fury grows over RNLI being accused of being taxi service for migrant
The organisation has saved 150,000 lives since it was founded.
The RNLI has been in operation for over 200 years (Image: Getty)
The RNLI has seen a spike in donations after being accused of being a ‘taxi service for migrants’. The RNLI operates lifeboat services along the UK coastline, founded in 1824 and saving 150,000 lives since then.
It is principally funded by legacies (65%) and donations (30%). Most of its lifeboat crews are unpaid volunteers operating more than 400 lifeboats from 238 stations. Paid lifeguards provide services at nearly 250 beaches.
But not all are grateful for its services. Last year, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the RNLI a “taxi service for illegal immigration”. And on Sunday night in Portsmouth, a far-right group wearing balaclavas shouted abuse at volunteers.
They called them “traitors to this country”, “scum”, and “yellowbellies” for aiding migrants crossing the Channel. The RNLI has declared its obligation to help anyone in distress on coastal waters, under international maritime law.
The RNLI said they will rescue people ‘without judgement or preference’ (Image: Social media)
The RNLI has said it has also seen a spike in donations following the attack on its volunteers in Portsmouth, for which it is “so grateful”. It also said volunteers will rescue people ‘without judgement or preference’ as the service has done for more than 200 years
A spokesperson said: “We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of donations we have received this week, and we’ve welcomed a number of new supporters to our charity.
“As always, we’re so grateful for the support we receive from our amazing supporters, without them we would not be able to deliver our vital lifesaving service.
“Sadly, we have also been contacted by a number of supporters and members of the public who have informed us that they wish to withdraw their support in recent days. Everyone at the RNLI remains focused on our core purpose of saving lives at sea.”
There has also been a spike in donations to a GoFundMe launched by Simon Harris. The man started the fundraiser in 2021 following Farage’s comments about the RNLI. In five years, it has raised £336,000 for the organisation.
Harris said his opinion of the Reform leader was low, and it gets lower every time he attacks the RNLI. He said: “It’s like the NHS. RNLI volunteers are risking their lives – they’re not being paid for it. It should be almost like a sacred cow.”
