A Moroccan boy travelled from Spain’s north African exclave of Ceuta to the mainland hidden under a visiting football team’s bus on Monday, sources at the club told AFP
The Real Valladolid players found the child hidden by their coach’s wheel axle when it pulled over at a service station
The team from northern Spain had crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on the ferry on the way home after drawing 1-1 in their second-division match against Ceuta, when they heard strange noises under the vehicle
Under pressure to contain migration after a crisis in Ceuta on July 30 and 31, Spain’s government had insisted that no irregular migrants would be allowed to reach the mainland
On those days more than 70,000 people swam in the sea around a border fence into the Spanish territory Most returned but several thousand have remained.
The boy under the coach had stayed hidden throughout the ferry crossing and for more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) by road before eventually calling for help, the Real Valladolid sources said
Club members gave him food, water and clothing before police took charge of him
Authorities say conditions in Ceuta have deteriorated since the migrant influx, sparking angry demonstrations by residents