The plight of immigrants trying to avoid being caught is getting worse. The Spanish police recently intercepted a vehicle carrying two immigrants who had hidden inside mattresses at the Melilla-Morocco border. Melilla is an autonomous Spanish city in north Africa that shares a border with Morocco. The mattresses were strapped to the top of the van.

Spanish senator Jon Inarritu posted a video of the incident on twitter, saying that “such situations will continue to occur in absence of safe immigration routes and asylum assistance”.

In the video, the Spanish civil guard officers are seen putting the mattresses carefully on the ground and then cutting off the sides of the fabric to reveal the immigrants who were hiding inside. They look visibly puzzled and scared.

The plan appears to be a well thought-out one, given that the mattresses were hollowed to fit the men, as is seen in the video. The mattresses were even covered in a plastic wrap, apparently to prevent any suspicion.

The video has once again brought to the fore the debate around the dangerous ways adopted by immigrants to reach safer destinations. Thousands of people have lost their lives while trying to get to countries that provide better social security, healthcare, and growth opportunities.

According to the Spanish website el Periodico, the driver of the van fled to Morocco. The two immigrants are reportedly of sub-Saharan origin and are in good health.