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Ceuta border breach
Spain said it would deploy its military to Ceuta after thousands of migrants breached Morocco’s border and at least nine died during the attempt, with the chaos boiling over on Thursday as large crowds breeched the border fence.
“Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying”
The Associated Press reported that Spain’s government would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta,” and that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.
Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press, “The situation is absolute chaos,” adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”
The Guardian said Spain was deploying extra troops and police officers to Ceuta after thousands swam and waded into the tiny territory from neighbouring Morocco in a matter of hours, with TVE reporting between 2,000 and 3,000 people had crossed into Ceuta.
Agence France-Presse quoted a government spokesperson as saying that nine bodies had been recovered, while the Spanish interior ministry later announced 60 members of the armed forces would be deployed to Ceuta and an additional 30 Guardia Civil officers.
Reactions and political pressure
Ceuta’s regional president Juan Jesús Vivas demanded additional police and troops “to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier” and citizen safety, and he also called on the central government to declare a national emergency over the crossings.
The Guardian reported that Spain rejected calls for a national emergency, saying such emergencies could not be declared over migration issues and could only be declared in response to dire meteorological events or in the face of a volcanic or nuclear threat.
In parallel, Italy called for closing Schengen to Spain over the Ceuta migrant crisis, with Antonio Tajani writing on X, “I am in favour of closing the Schengen area with Spain.”
France 24 said Italy’s call came as Madrid deployed soldiers to Ceuta to ensure security after hundreds of migrants entered the Spanish north African exclave from Morocco, and it cited Spain’s interior ministry statement that “The armed forces will reinforce the Civil Guard in the exercise of its powers and any others that may be necessary to maintain security in the city of Ceuta.”
Euronews reported that the European Commissioner for Migration, Austria's Magnus Brunner, said he was in constant contact with Spanish authorities and stressed that protecting the EU's external borders remains “a crucial part of our efforts to fight illegal migration,” while the European Commission said it had offered operational support through Frontex.
Numbers, logistics, and what’s next
Spain’s interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border, but it could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns, while it promised additional resources and said administrations were coordinating to respond “with speed and efficacy” to the situation in Ceuta.
“said the Civil Guard's strength there would be nearly doubled from the current level of 80”
France 24 reported that Spain’s interior ministry did not specify how many soldiers would be sent to the small territory of 18.5 square kilometres, but said the Civil Guard’s strength there would be nearly doubled from the current level of 80, and it said it would also send diving teams and coastguard ships.
The Guardian said Spain’s national broadcaster TVE reported between 2,000 and 3,000 people had crossed into Ceuta, while the state news agency Efe said some had entered by scaling the high border fence, and it said Efe also reported Moroccan authorities in riot gear used teargas and water cannon to disperse people near the border.
Al Jazeera said Ceuta raised the alarm as thousands breached the border from Morocco, with the government of Ceuta saying between 1,500 and 2,000 people had entered in the last 10 days and that hundreds more were estimated to have arrived on Thursday, prompting Vivas to declare an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency.”
Euronews said more than 60 people have died attempting the crossing over the past 12 months, and it reported that Spain and Morocco agreed a procedure to accelerate returns, while the Spanish Interior Ministry said human trafficking networks may be exploiting a recent court ruling to encourage undocumented migrants to attempt the crossing.
