Spain uncovers new illegal immigration plot

Prosecutors in Spain charged 12 North African migrants with sedition for trying to illegally enter the country by making a commercial airliner land in Spanish territory.

The plot, which was planned for months, demonstrates that commandeering airliners can be a cheaper and safer way to reach Europe than being smuggled across borders.

On November 5, a Moroccan migrant on an Air Arabia flight between Morocco and Turkey pretended to suffer from a diabetic coma. The medical emergency forced the pilot to land in Mallorca.

As soon as the airplane door opened to allow the doctors into the plane, 21 passengers exited the aircraft and made their escape. One of the passengers recorded the incident and published the video.

"Guys, listen, most of you want to emigrate. Follow this plan: we need 40 volunteers. All the Brooklyn guys who book a flight to Turkey will fly over Spain. One of you will activate the GPS and when the plane approaches Spain you will begin to scream and feign an illness. The stewardess will come and ask for patience until the plane arrives in Turkey. At this moment the others begin to protest and claim that the passenger is going to die... If everyone shows sympathy for the sick passenger, the plane will make an emergency landing in Spain to protect the reputation of the company and to free itself of responsibility," read a post in a private Facebook group describing a plot similar to the Mallorca incident.

Twelve of the undocumented immigrants were found and detained. The others remain at large and are thought to have escaped to mainland Europe by ferry.

The migrants that were caught are being charged for two separate crimes, sedition and public disorder. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Spanish authorities fear this plot will set a precedent that will be repeated around Europe. Once in Spain, illegal immigrants are unlikely to get deported due to the European Union’s human rights laws.