- On Friday, Spain and Morocco reinforced the border fence of a Spanish enclave and appeared to halt mass crossings after around 49,000 people arrived by sea and land in a single day, with at least 19 dead bodies found in the water.
- Spain described the surge as the biggest crisis since at least 2021. Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres said a factor may have been a ruling by Spain's Supreme Court earlier this month that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned under special rules.
- Spanish authorities said they would try to expel those who had entered illegally as quickly as possible, despite a court ruling restricting special 'border rejection' rules. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was due to visit Ceuta on Friday with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
- At Ceuta's gates, Moroccan authorities had deployed water cannon trucks and pushed people back; the charred remains of a bus and seven cars could be seen nearby from clashes with the crowds.
- Spain's Guardia Civil police association AUGC said there had been too few police in place to monitor the fence during the surge. Migrant groups said resources in Ceuta were insufficient and that migratory policies require a deep revision guaranteeing the dignity and human rights of migrants and refugees arriving to Ceuta.
Spain and Morocco have taken urgent measures to reinforce the border after an unprecedented surge of 49,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta in a single day, leading to at least 19 deaths. This crisis has been described as the biggest since 2021, with Spain's Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres attributing the surge to a recent Supreme Court ruling that restricts the immediate return of intercepted migrants.234589
The situation has escalated tensions within Europe, particularly with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatening to suspend the Schengen Area agreement, which allows free movement across EU borders. Meloni stated her country is prepared to take extraordinary measures to defend its borders and ensure citizen safety.
Ceuta and Melilla, the only land borders between the EU and Africa, have seen periodic surges in migrant crossings, but the recent influx is unprecedented. Spanish authorities are working to expel those who entered illegally, despite legal challenges posed by the court ruling. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to visit Ceuta to assess the situation firsthand, while Moroccan authorities have deployed water cannons to manage the crowds.
Local migrant groups have called for a revision of migratory policies, emphasizing the need to respect the dignity and human rights of migrants arriving in Ceuta. The crisis highlights the ongoing challenges faced by both Spain and Morocco in managing migration flows from Africa.
“Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend the Schengen Area with Spain as the influx caused division in Europe. Spain's Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres called it the biggest crisis since at least 2021 and linked the surge to a Supreme Court ruling that restricted summary returns.”
The Globe and Mail
