Key Takeaways
- Over 60,000 migrants have entered Ceuta in the past two to three days.
- Spanish authorities estimate that around 25,000 have returned to Morocco.
- Moroccan security forces are accused of allowing the migration.
Spain is grappling with a massive influx of migrants into its enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco. Over the past two or three days, an estimated 60,000 people have entered the territory, which has a population of just 80,000.
According to local regional president Juan Jesus Vivas and journalist Ignacio Cembrero, around 200 migrants were arriving every minute. The scale is far greater than in May 2021 when only about 12,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta over a few days.
Spain’s interior ministry reported that 25,000 migrants have since left Ceuta to return to Morocco, indicating the sheer volume of people involved. This influx has triggered a crisis for Spain and the European Union.
To reach the breakwater that marks the border between Ceuta and Morocco, there are cordons of police and auxiliary forces, and it’s obvious they’ve been allowed through.
Ignacio Cembrero, Journalist specialised in migration in North Africa
The Moroccan authorities have seen an opportunity to force Spain to negotiate the future of these cities.
Ignacio Cembrero, Journalist specialised in migration in North Africa
