A new border crisis has erupted in Ceuta, Spain’s autonomous enclave in North Africa, after thousands of migrants swam, took to boats and climbed border fences to cross from Morocco within a few hours. The Spanish government has deployed additional troops and police to bring the situation under control. At least 18 people are reported to have died in the mass crossing, and local sources say about 49,000 people entered the enclave.
The crisis peaked on Thursday when large numbers of people broke through the border fence. To cope, Ceuta’s local authorities appealed to the central government in Madrid for extra troops, and the Spanish government promised to send more forces.
Rashid Sabihi, head of the association of Spain’s Civil Guard officers serving at the Ceuta border, told the media that an extremely chaotic situation had developed. “It is not possible to give an exact number of how many have arrived, but thousands are crossing the border,” he said, expressing concern about security.
Viral videos showed thousands of people crossing the border and entering Spain by sea, with many walking along the beach and nearby roads. Many women and children were among them.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said it was the largest migrant crossing into Ceuta in years. With thousands reaching the border at once, border guards came under severe pressure. Many people jumped into the sea and tried to swim to Spanish territory, while others climbed the high border fence.
Spain’s government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died during Thursday’s chaos, without giving details. Bodies were seen floating in the water. Local authorities said dozens of people have died this year trying to reach Ceuta.
Spain has deployed the army, extra police and special security forces. Ceuta’s reception centers are already overflowing, and local administrators said handling so many migrants had become a major challenge.
Spain and Morocco have quickly met and reached an agreement in principle to return those who entered illegally, and Morocco has pledged to tighten border security. The two countries are working jointly to control the situation.
Analysts note that although Ceuta is on the African continent, it is part of Spain and therefore of the European Union, which is why many people from Morocco and other African countries choose it as a gateway into Europe. Recent economic hardship, unemployment, social unrest and rumors of changes to border policy are seen as among the reasons for the surge.
A similar crisis occurred in Ceuta in 2021. Its recurrence has reopened debate in Europe over migration policy, border security and the humanitarian crisis. Opposition figures have begun criticizing the Spanish government, while human rights organizations have demanded that migrants’ safety be ensured.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska was due to visit Ceuta on Friday to assess the situation. Separately, the head of Ceuta’s regional government, Juan Jesus Vivas, called for a state of emergency to be declared in the interest of national security, saying troops as well as extra police were needed to secure the border.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report