At least 9 peoplel died as thousands of migrants are crossing into Spain from Morocco in fresh border crisis. In the wake of these developments, Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory. On Thursday, many shocking footage emerged from Ceuta when thousands of Moroccans swam the sea and arrived at the Spanish enclave in North America. Spanish authorities have now deployed military units to reinforce police stations at Ceuta amid the migration.
Spain’s government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta” and also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.
“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed”. Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as “exceptional”.
Why are Moroccans fleeing to Spain?
Moroccans generally migrate to Spain seeking better economic opportunities, escaping regional instability and poverty, and utilising geographic proximity via Spanish enclaves like Ceuta. Recent mass crossings have also been linked by officials to human trafficking networks exploiting legal debates over migrant returns.
However, the ongoing influx of migrants may have been triggered by a recent Supreme Court ruling in Spain. The enclaves maintain a special “border rejection” regime under which migrants can be immediately returned to their countries by Spanish authorities.
Ceuta authorities had previously linked the surge to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that barred authorities from immediately returning migrants who arrive by sea without due process.
The ruling does not apply to migrants who enter Spain by land, including by climbing over the border fence. But some activists in Morocco expressed doubt that the ruling was behind the surge, arguing most migrants would have been unaware of such legal decisions.
Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
To reach Ceuta, located on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3.1 miles (5 km) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.
How many Moroccans have fled to Spain so far?
As of now, the Spanish authorities could not confirm how many people moved from Morocco to Ceuta. However, Spanish television channel TVE reported that between 2000 to 3000 people arrived, in what could be the biggest migration the Spanish territories have seen in recent times.
Moreover, the escalation at the frontier between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday. Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and Morocco’s Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation and that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” who are trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together “for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally.”
With inputs from AP
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