One of the biggest recent influxes ever recorded at Spain’s borders following a large influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta with estimated numbers of approximately 49,000 from neighbouring Morocco over a 24-hour period. Some thousands swarmed across the coastline to reach the North African territory, with video from the coast showing people wading across the sea to get there.
Local authorities were unprepared for the sudden surge in numbers, and tried to get help from Madrid urgently. Armed forces were subsequently sent to Ceuta and the nearby enclave of Melilla to bolster security, with another 300-400 migrant crossings at the area reported overnight. Ceuta is an estimated 83,600-resident city with over half of its residents arriving.
It follows Spain’s Supreme Court decision last week that migrants who are freed at sea to try to reach Ceuta and Melilla are not eligible for summary deportation to Morocco. The decision has sparked controversy as to Spain’s migration policies amid pressure from authorities as they try to cope with the surge of people seeking asylum, owing to additional security concerns.
At least 18 people have been killed since then making the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar to Ceuta, authorities confirmed. The rescue services have stayed on their guard and the Spanish authorities have been seeking to restore the crossing barriers but have also been trying to offer support in the humanitarian aspect to the new migrants who have arrived.
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