The smugglers compelled migrants to jump from a boat, leading to fatalities. They were sentenced to prison and ordered to compensate the victims' families. Recent arrests were also made in relation to other migrant deaths in Spain.

Two smugglers have received a nine-year prison sentence each for their involvement in the deaths of four Moroccan migrants who drowned after being compelled to jump from a boat near the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa last year, according to officials.

The Ceuta prosecutor's office stated that the sentences were determined without a trial following an agreement with the two individuals.

According to the office, the two men, one from Ceuta and the other residing in Morocco, transported nine young men on a pleasure boat from Morocco in January 2023 with the intention of illegally bringing them into Spanish territory.

When winds intensified near the port city of Ceuta, smugglers coerced migrants into jumping into the water and swimming to shore. Five managed to reach safety, but tragically, the others drowned. Their bodies were discovered several days later.

The two smugglers faced four counts of negligent homicide and charges of violating the rights of foreign nationals. Prior to the agreement reached on Wednesday, the prosecution had sought prison sentences totaling 32 years. Additionally, the court ordered the two individuals to compensate each of the victims' families with 205,000 euros ($218,000), as confirmed by the public prosecutor.

Following an investigation by the Spanish Civil Guard, based on videos recorded by the migrants just moments before they leaped into the turbulent waters, the suspects were apprehended in March 2023.

In a separate incident, Spanish police arrested three individuals in connection with the deaths of five migrants last November. These migrants had been threatened with a machete and compelled to jump from the boat they were traveling on, along with dozens of others, offshore from the southern coast of mainland Spain.

Most migrants attempting to enter Ceuta or Melilla, the other Spanish enclave in North Africa, from Morocco do so by attempting to breach the massive border fences.

Each year, tens of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan countries, fleeing poverty, conflict, and instability in West Africa, endeavor to reach Spain by boat. While many embark on large open boats destined for the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, others from Morocco, Algeria, and Middle Eastern countries seek to cross the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean to reach mainland Spain. Unfortunately, several thousand people lose their lives during this perilous journey.

According to the Interior Ministry, 16,621 migrants arrived in Spain by boat between January 1 and April 15, marking an increase of 11,681 compared to the same period last year. The vast majority arrived by way of the Canary Islands.