Moment shocked sunbathers confronted by migrants after smuggling boat lands on Spanish tourist beach

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Shocking footage taken close to Spain’s popular La Manga Club in Murcia, Cartegenia, on Wednesday, shows as many as 60 people, who appear to be mostly young men, clambering onto the sand after jumping from a small boat located a few metres from the shoreline.

The boat is then filmed turning away with three people still onboard, as people were seen swimming towards the beach.

Some beachgoers called the police, grabbed their belongings and ran away.

Other holidaymakers along the Costa Calida were filmed surrounding some of the migrants in a circle close to the ocean which quickly devolved into people shoving each other, whilst other people who arrived on the boat were caught on video wandering further into shore.

This latest footage of migrants appearing in Spain comes after 78,000 migrants rushed from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta in one week earlier this summer.

Read more: Spain retaliates with border controls against Italy as row over Ceuta migrant influx deepens

Read more: What happened to Ceuta's migrants and how has Spain responded?

The unprecedented wave of migrants into the territory has been linked to economic distress at home and people smuggling gangs taking advantage of confusion and disinformation online around new Spanish border laws.

Despite nearly every person who attempted to enter Spain during the Ceuta wave earlier this month being sent back to Morocco, this perceived uncontrolled migration issue has resulted in unprecedented shutdowns of the Schengen Agreement in the European Union (EU).

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni temporarily shut down free movement from Spain to Italy via air and sea travel. In retaliation, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, established similar border controls against travel from Italy until September 7.

Sánchez is under pressure at home from right-wing politicians who are blaming his policies for the recent migration movements.

Speaking about the recent footage in Cartegenia, the regional mayor Noelia Arroyo, said: "Pedro Sánchez's Government must act and put an end to so much impunity.

"Mafias and criminal organizations continue trafficking people in broad daylight. These are not isolated episodes; they are perfectly designed routes."

The high levels of migration away from Morocco is also causing political tension within the North African country, as the government is being criticised for failing to get a handle on its youth unemployment crisis.

Moroccan migrants are largely coming to Spain because of crippling economic countries at home leaving them unable to provide for themselves and their families. The crossing remains dangerous and occasionally deadly. More than 80 people did not survive the migration wave to Ceuta this summer.

While the Ceuta wave was dominated by people from Morocco, the country is often used as a transit point for people who have already travelled from other countries due to its proximity to Europe. It is unclear at this time where the migrants who were filmed washing up on the beach this week originated.

The resort that the boat docked close to on Wednesday is famous for its celebrity clientele, which has included Matt Damon, Salma Hayek, and Robbie Williams.

The entire England squad, including David Beckham, trained at La Manga in 2001 prior to their World Cup qualifying match against Greece. And, the football training grounds at the resort continue to be used today by the likes of Newcastle United and Arsenal Women.