At Least 18 Migrants Die as Thousands Storm Spanish Exclave of Ceuta From Morocco
- At least 18 migrants died as thousands of people crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, prompting Spain to deploy its military
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez planned to travel to Ceuta on Friday alongside the Interior Minister following the mass border crossing
- A local Civil Guard workers association leader described the situation as a 'serious humanitarian crisis,' with migrants sleeping on streets and in parks
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At least 18 migrants have died after thousands of people stormed across the border from Morocco into Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on the north African coast, forcing Spain to deploy its military to the enclave.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was set to visit Ceuta on Friday morning alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, as authorities scrambled to manage what local officials called an overwhelming situation.
Source: Getty Images
Rachid Sbihi, who heads a workers association representing Civil Guard officers, said the territory had descended into disorder. "People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts," he said, adding: "It's chaotic."
Deaths at Tarajal Beach
Of the 18 confirmed dead, most drowned, but some were killed in a stampede at the breakwater fence along Tarajal beach, according to Sbihi. Video footage captured on Thursday showed large crowds, mostly young Moroccan men but also families with women and small children, walking around the breakwaters onto local roads.
According to AP, some in the crowd shouted "Viva España!" at a freelance photographer working for the AP, who late Thursday through early Friday observed people gathered on the Moroccan side of the border attempting to cross in both directions, with some also walking back from Ceuta towards Morocco.
Without adequate shelter, thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on pavements, Sbihi said.
Cause of the Surge Still Unclear
The mass crossing followed a build-up of migrant arrivals on Wednesday, when numbers attempting to reach Ceuta, mainly by swimming, had already increased sharply. The precise reason so many people moved at once remains unknown.
Ceuta authorities had previously pointed to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier in May that blocked authorities from immediately sending back migrants who arrive by sea without proper legal review. However, that ruling covers sea arrivals only and does not extend to people crossing by land or over the border fence.
Activists in Morocco cast doubt on this explanation, arguing that most migrants would have had no knowledge of such a legal decision.
Morocco's Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment, and Moroccan authorities offered no public statement on the crossings.
The crisis also drew a reaction from Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy's participation in the open-border Schengen agreement with Spain, citing the need "to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens," even though Italy shares no border with Spain.
Source: Getty Images
Thousands of migrants storm Spain's Ceuta Enclave
Legit.ng earlier reported that Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta has been hit by a large wave of migrants crossing from Morocco, with local authorities warning that the situation has become a humanitarian and security crisis.
Juan Jesús Vivas, the leader of Ceuta, said the influx had stretched the territory's resources to breaking point and called on the Spanish government to step in.
Source: Legit.ng
