Spain Says Most Migrants Have Returned from Ceuta

About 70,000 of the 72,000 migrants who massively arrived in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta have already returned to Morocco.

This was announced on Tuesday, August 4, reported by Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Thus, about 2,000 people remain on the territory of Ceuta.

The mass border crossing occurred last week. Tens of thousands of people arrived from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa.

Grande-Marlaska stressed that the crisis did not jeopardize the Schengen Area. Ceuta is not part of the free movement area, so getting from there to mainland Spain is impossible without additional border control.

Spanish authorities, together with the administration of Ceuta, are engaged in housing and verifying the status of people who remain in the enclave. Those without legal grounds to stay will be returned in compliance with established procedures.

The crisis was discussed at an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers. The participants of the talks expressed support for Spain and considered measures to strengthen the EU’s external borders and improve the early warning system for mass migration flows.

At least 75 people died while attempting to reach Ceuta. Spain said it had not received any prior warning about the planned mass border crossing.