Border Crisis Escalates as Thousands Cross into Spanish Enclaves Amid Unrest
Fires erupt in Beni-Enzar as Spain deploys troops; Supreme Court ruling cited as 'pull factor' for migrants.
Sarah Connor
Thousands of migrants have crossed the border between Morocco and the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, triggering a severe humanitarian and security crisis.
Video footage captured crowds, including families with women and small children, navigating breakwaters at Tarajal beach and moving onto local roads.
Madrid deployed military forces to Ceuta; Spain's Interior Ministry announced 60 troops would strengthen the border.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit Ceuta on Friday morning, addressing the escalating situation directly.
Ceuta's population, approximately 85,000, now contends with the arrival of nearly 50,000 migrants.
Local media confirmed migrant crossings into Ceuta continued overnight; Alberto Núñez Feijóo stated people arrived throughout the night.
Feijóo described Ceuta as an occupied city, asserting insufficient measures prevented further crossings.
Moroccan authorities, in response, deployed water cannon trucks and reinforced security at crossing-gates.
Spanish media, however, reported “passivity” from Moroccan police during overnight crossings, even as Spain's Interior Ministry maintains the Moroccan government cooperates with Spain to manage the situation.
The human cost of the crisis mounts; Spain's government delegation in Ceuta reported at least nine people lost their lives amidst the chaos on Thursday.
Other accounts indicate 18 people died during the crossings, while Rachid Sbihi claimed at least 43 people perished, some drowning, others killed in a stampede at the Tarajal beach fence.
Rachid Sbihi indicated that At least 43 people perished, some drowning, others killed in a stampede at the Tarajal beach fence.
This crisis has triggered significant international repercussions; Italy demanded Spain's suspension from the Schengen area due to the migration crisis.
France, in turn, increases checks on its border with Spain.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish autonomous cities in North Africa, hold the European Union’s only land border with Africa, making them critical entry points.
A Spanish Supreme Court ruling complicates managing the influx, stating migrants arriving by sea cannot face summary deportation without due process.
More than half of the people who crossed returned to Morocco voluntarily by Friday afternoon.
Spanish state broadcaster RTVE showed burned cars on the Moroccan side of the border after reported clashes, with fires also reported in Beni-Enzar, a Moroccan town near the border with Melilla.
Spain remains a main point of arrival into Europe for individuals seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence.