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Ceuta breach and deaths
Spain deployed ground troops to Ceuta on Thursday after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco, mostly by swimming, as Spanish authorities confirmed the death of at least 15 people by drowning.
“could rise in the coming hours as bodies are recovered from the sea”
The BBC described the crossings as a surge that left at least 15 dead, with the number “could rise in the coming hours as bodies are recovered from the sea,” and it placed Ceuta at the boundary of the Strait of Gibraltar on the North African coast.
El País reported that by midday on Thursday the Civil Guard and emergency services were overwhelmed as thousands crossed into Ceuta without control, first walking on land and then swimming the breakwater that marks the border.
El País put the death toll at “at least eighteen people” who died trying to reach Ceuta, and it said the government mobilized Army units deployed in Ceuta to support the armed forces while President Pedro Sánchez would travel to the autonomous city on Friday.
Euronews said Italy called for closing Schengen to Spain over the Ceuta migrant crisis after hundreds of migrants crossed into the North African enclave, and it added that “Nine people reportedly died attempting to reach Ceuta.”
Schengen fight and accusations
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media that “The images coming from Ceuta are shocking and once again show that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders,” and she said Rome was prepared to act “even through extraordinary measures” including “suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain.”
The BBC also quoted Ceuta government president Juan Jesús Vivas urging Madrid to intervene and warning that if “adequate and proportionate measures” were not applied, “we could soon be looking at figures similar to those in the May 2021 episode.”
Euronews reported that Antonio Tajani said he was “in favour” of closing the free travel zone with Spain, arguing that “irregular and uncontrolled immigration poses a threat to national security.”
POLITICO.eu reported that Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares summoned the Italian ambassador after Tajani’s comments, firing back that “This message is unbecoming of the foreign minister of a partner and friendly country.”
In response to the political pressure, the Spanish government said it would deploy the army to Ceuta to reinforce security after the crossings, and it said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was expected in Ceuta on Friday as opposition pressure grew.
Reception strain and next steps
El País said the reception center at CETI was overwhelmed “for days,” with doors closed and “no vacancies,” as hundreds of young people crowded around the surroundings and asked passersby what the bracelet was for and whether they would be able to go to the mainland.
“on the verge of a hygiene crisis”
It also described CETI as “on the verge of a hygiene crisis,” with garbage trucks arriving and a water tap serving to wash a little, while police vans, Red Cross vehicles, and food-supply trucks moved toward the center.
Euronews said the European Commissioner for Migration, Austria’s Magnus Brunner, 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.”
The European Commission said it had offered operational support through Frontex, and it framed the situation as a need for “swift return of those who have entered Ceuta illegally, in line with the applicable rules.”
Spain and Morocco agreed to speed up returns, and Euronews reported that the two countries said they had agreed a procedure to accelerate returns, though no timeline or figures were made public.
