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Ceuta surge and deaths
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said this Tuesday that 70,000 of the 72,000 migrants who entered Ceuta have been returned, as the crisis followed a surge across the border from Morocco.
“70,000 of the 72,000 migrants who entered Ceuta have been returned”
Al Jazeera reported that at least 72 people have died after around 60,000 migrants surged across the border from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta over the past few days.
Spanish authorities said more than 1,000 people had been treated by health services since the surge began on Thursday, and the Spanish Civil Guard began identifying the 72 bodies already found.
The crisis also prompted Spain to install a 500m (1,600-foot) floating barrier off Ceuta’s coast, while Al Jazeera said some migrants died drowned and others were crushed while trying to climb a breakwater and border fence.
EU meeting and Schengen
After an emergency videoconference, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska described the meeting as constructive and said member states agreed Madrid’s response had been swift and effective.
Al Jazeera Net said the European interior ministers offered Madrid urgent assistance and called for stronger protection of the external borders, while Magnus Brunner said the bloc offered Spain aid including emergency funding.
The same Al Jazeera Net coverage reported that local authorities raised the death toll to 75 after dozens drowned while attempting to swim around the crossing barrier in the Mediterranean Sea.
Marlaska also said the Schengen area “was not in danger at all,” noting that Ceuta is not covered by the agreement and that movement from Ceuta to mainland Spain is subject to passport checks.
Minors, aid, and political fallout
Hundreds of unaccompanied minors were stranded in Ceuta after the massive surge, and Al Jazeera said more than 800 unaccompanied minors are among the remaining migrants facing an uncertain future.
“More than 800 unaccompanied minors are among the remaining migrants”
The Al Jazeera report also cited Spain’s 2000 law on foreigners’ rights, including that when police identify young children and teenage migrants who are unaccompanied by adults, the minors must be granted protection and receive “immediate attention’ from Spanish child protection services.”
Spain’s government approved an extraordinary 25 million euros to reinforce attention to unaccompanied minors in Ceuta, with Elma Saiz saying the measure responds to the executive’s commitment to the city and the minors requiring assistance.
In parallel, Al Jazeera Net said the discussion extended to Spain’s program to regularize irregular migrants, while Brunner said the bloc does not see a direct link between the program and the Ceuta events and that the decision should not be seen as a positive signal to other member states.
