Mass border crossing puts pressure on Ceuta

Migrants broke through the fences into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday after overwhelming police at the city's breakwater, Spain's Guardia Civil police said.

Video footage showed some migrants swimming over from the Moroccan side using inflatable inner tubes and other flotation devices, and others breaking through a gate in the fence and running into the city. 

The scene was reminiscent of the crossing that occurred in May 2021, when some 10,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa entered the enclave in days. 

A Guardia Civil spokesperson said the migrants were "massively entering from the sea" through the Tarajal breakwater, but could not provide any estimates for the numbers.

State television TVE on Thursday reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm those reports.

Ceuta, together with Melilla — another Spanish autonomous city located in North Africa —  represents the European Union's only land border with Africa. Both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.

Images showed some of the migrants shouting "Long live Spain" as they entered the territory. 

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Spain's Socialist government stands out in Europe for its pro-migrant stance, and has recently launched a programme to provide legal status for some 500,000 undocumented migrants, creating a huge influx of applications.

Right-wing parties criticised the drive, arguing it would attract more migrants to Spain, and were quick to blame Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for allowing the situation in Ceuta to reach crisis proportions.

Conservative opposition People's Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said in a post on X: "The situation in Ceuta is desperate. The government cannot look the other way... because we are facing a national security crisis."

Earlier on Thursday, Ceuta leader Juan Jesus Vivas urged the national government to declare an emergency over the mass arrivals. 

Ceuta's regional government requested that Madrid deploy the army to guarantee safety and close the border with Morocco, in a message on X.

The Defence Ministry said there were no immediate plans to deploy the army.

Earlier this month, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned under the enclaves' special border-rejection regime.

"It has been a slow trickle since the Supreme Court's ruling, but today has been an explosion," the Guardia Civil spokesperson told Reuters.

The Interior Ministry said it was working closely with Morocco to address the surge in irregular arrivals, having prevented thousands of migrants from illegally entering Ceuta in recent days.

It vowed to immediately deport those entering illegally, blaming people-smuggling networks for exploiting the Supreme Court's ruling to encourage undocumented migration.

Morocco's Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Migrant rights activist Zakaria Zarroqui said people were still flocking to the Moroccan city of Fnideq in an attempt to cross into Ceuta. 

"The situation remains out of control as we speak," Zarroqui said.