Already about 60 thousand migrants crossed the border of Spanish Ceuta

About 60 thousand migrants crossed the border of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Africa in the last 24 hours. At least 34 people died while trying to enter Spanish territory, reported the head of the autonomous city Juan Jesús Vivas.

The number of arrivals is comparable to roughly 70% of Ceuta’s population, where about 85 thousand people live. People entered the city through the land border with Morocco, climbed over fences, and tried to reach Spanish territory by swimming.

The massive influx of migrants led to overcrowding in reception centers. Many arrivals spent the night on the streets, in parks, and other public places. Local authorities stated that the city’s infrastructure is not designed to receive such a volume of people simultaneously.

Spain sent additional police and military units to Ceuta. Security forces reinforced the border guard, and rescue services continued to search for people missing at sea. The death toll may rise as the search operation continues.

According to Spanish authorities, about 37.5 thousand migrants have already returned to Morocco, some of them voluntarily. Madrid and Rabat agreed to coordinate the return of people and strengthen border control.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez placed responsibility for the mass movement of people on criminal networks involved in illegal migrant trafficking. According to him, they spread misinformation that it had become easier to enter Ceuta following a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court.

The exact cause of the sharp increase in the number of people wishing to cross the border has not yet been fully determined. Some migrants recounted that they received messages about the opening of the border, after which thousands headed to Ceuta from different parts of Morocco.

Ceuta, together with Melilla, is Spanish territory on the African coast and part of the European Union. The enclaves regularly serve as routes for illegal immigration from Africa to Europe, but the current surge is the largest in recent years.

Based on materials from: The Guardian