Ceuta border crisis: Hundreds of migrants enter Spain in a single day

Hundreds of migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, overwhelming local authorities and reigniting political tensions. Witnesses reported around 1,000 people gathering at the Tarajal border area by early afternoon. Many walked across the land border, reducing a usual two-to-four-hour swim to just 30 minutes. Others jumped into the sea to swim around the frontier. This surge follows the arrival of between 1,500 and 2,000 people over the past ten days. On Wednesday, the bodies of two migrants were found near the coast, bringing the total number of migrant deaths in Ceuta this year to 29. Spain’s Interior Ministry said it has “agreed to reinforce coordination” with Morocco to manage the flow. Both countries promised to “review and implement measures for the return, as soon as possible, of all people who have entered Ceuta illegally.” The Spanish minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, will travel to Ceuta on Friday. Morocco’s embassy in Madrid denied that its authorities are encouraging the crossings, calling the cooperation with Spain “exemplary.” The local reception system is overwhelmed. Young Moroccan men, most of whom arrived with wetsuits and flotation devices, are being processed in police stations and temporary shelters that have run out of space. The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, called the situation a “national emergency.” He said the recent arrivals are equivalent to nearly 2% of the city's total population. He demanded a “single command” to coordinate the response. However, Spain’s central government rejected that request. Officials said the country’s civil protection law does not cover migration flows, making it impossible to declare a state of emergency for this purpose. Human rights group Sur Acoge warned that reception resources must be increased, especially for children. It also stated that the recent Supreme Court ruling against “hot returns” (summary deportations) did not create a “pull factor” for migrants, arguing the situation is more complex. The crisis comes as Morocco celebrates the 27th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne. Spain’s Foreign Ministry denied that the situation is linked to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s recent visit to Algeria, a rival of Morocco.