At least 18 migrants died while attempting to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, where Spain deployed its military after thousands of people breached the border with Morocco according to NPR. The unprecedented border crisis boiled over on Thursday and overnight, with around 49,000 people arriving by sea and land in a single day according to Reuters. Dead bodies found in the water reached at least 19 according to Reuters.
Mass Border Breach in Ceuta Leaves at Least 18 Dead
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a serious humanitarian crisis.
Among those who died, many drowned while others were killed in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal beach, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco according to NPR.
Chaos and Overwhelmed Infrastructure in Ceuta
Without shelter, thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and sidewalks while others roamed the streets aimlessly according to NPR.
Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters onto local roads according to NPR. Ahmed Karim, a 33-year-old Moroccan, stated that he had crossed into Ceuta due to a lack of jobs in his country according to Local10. To reach Ceuta on the northern African coast, migrants often swim about 3 miles from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, while others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech according to NPR.
Spillover Unrest and International Reactions
Migrants also attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain’s other territory at the tip of North Africa, where widespread chaos erupted in the Moroccan border town of Bni Nsar according to Local10. Local media and rights groups reported that migrants clashed with police, threw rocks, and set police vehicles ablaze according to Local10. Omar Naji of the local branch of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights noted that the latest surge appeared to have been driven by the situation in Ceuta according to Nbcnews.
International reactions followed the crisis as Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border Schengen agreement with Spain according to NPR to defend borders and ensure citizen safety according to Reuters. Additionally, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced that France would strengthen border checks with Spain after activating the Rapid Intervention Border Force according to Local10.
Debated Triggers Behind the Migrant Surge
Ceuta authorities previously linked the surge to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that barred authorities from immediately returning migrants who arrive by sea without due process, though that ruling does not apply to land entries according to NPR. Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres stated that the court ruling restricting summary expulsions may have contributed to the surge according to Reuters.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska planned a visit to Ceuta according to NPR, while Morocco’s Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment according to Nbcnews.
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