VIDEO: Stunned Beachgoers Watch African Migrants Bum-Rush Spanish Shore

Beachgoers in Spain were surprised to see a dinghy full of migrants from Africa appear on the beach Wednesday.

The boat arrived on Playa de los Alemanes, a beach in the town of Zahara de los Atunes, which is located on Spain’s southern coast near the Strait of Gibraltar, according to CNN Thursday. The beach is just under 8 miles away from the Moroccan coastline.

The Spanish coast guard rescued another boat with over 12 migrants Wednesday after receiving an SOS call, and the Moroccan Navy rescued seven more people from a different boat, according to the Guardian. The boats are part of an increased refugee migration to Spain.

Zahara de los Atunes. Dos de la tarde pic.twitter.com/IvYGmbfE4E

— Jaime Moreno (@GolfJaime) August 9, 2017

The International Organization of Migration (IOM), the migration arm of the United Nations (UN), reported that overall refugee migration into Europe has dropped significantly from last year, but that migration to Spain is up. Spain saw around 2,476 migrants enter its borders in 2016 between January to August 6. In the same time frame this year, that number has risen to 8,183.

READ: Why Would North Korea Attack Guam?

For all of Europe, the number of refugee migrant arrivals was halved, from around 263,400 last year to an estimated 116,700 this year.

The strait is heavily patrolled to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean in crowded and often dangerous boats. Migrants have been reported to use jet skis or even toy boats. Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, fears for the safety of migrants using these inadequate boats.

“The use of these playthings is troubling ... one large wave and they can flip over and leave people in danger,” Frontex spokesman Krzysztof Borowski told Reuters Thursday. “These toy boats are very hard to spot at sea for rescue operations.”

The most popular destination for migrant refugees in 2016 was Greece. According to the IOM, 160,888 migrants entered the country between January and August. Italy was the most popular this year, with 96,438 migrant refugees arriving between January and August.

Another concern for aid organizations and border agencies is migrant deaths. The IOM reported that an estimated 2,400 migrants have died making the journey to date in 2017.

READ: Great White Shark Attacks Teenage Surfer In South Africa

Smugglers, too, make the trek dangerous for migrants. Somali and Ethiopian migrants numbering 180 were forced into the ocean off the coast of Yemen Wednesday when their smugglers feared they had seen the authorities, the UN reported. At least 50 African migrants drowned.

“The survivors told our colleagues on the beach that the smuggler pushed them to the sea when he saw some 'authority types' near the coast,” Laurent de Boeck, the Yemen mission chief for the IOM, said in a statement.