What happened in Ceuta?

The enclave of Ceuta has witnessed a massive influx of tens of thousands of migrants arriving by land and sea since last Wednesday, with reports indicating that dozens of people died during their crossing to the Spanish territory.

In response to the large-scale crossing, which occurred after rumors spread on social media about the “opening of the border with Spain,” authorities in Ceuta requested the intervention of the Spanish military to repel the crowds and prevent unauthorized entry. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior confirmed that it would deploy armed forces personnel to support the Civil Guard in maintaining security.

Reuters quoted the Spanish Ministry of the Interior as stating that, according to its estimates, approximately 49,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta in the past 24 hours.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, during a visit to Ceuta, said that “rumors spread by human trafficking mafias contributed to the influx of migrants.”

For his part, the governor of Ceuta stated that reception centers are completely full and unable to accommodate more people. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior also announced that several ministries are coordinating to respond as quickly as possible to the humanitarian and security situation in Ceuta. It noted that the government has reinforced the necessary resources to ensure security and control migration, in addition to providing humanitarian aid to guarantee that no lives are put at risk.

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced the activation of procedures to return migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly as soon as possible, following talks with the Moroccan government.

In a statement, it said that Spain and Morocco agreed to enhance coordination and efforts, and to review and implement measures aimed at returning all individuals who entered Ceuta illegally in the shortest possible time.

Ceuta holds a strategic position, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, which surrounds it on three sides (north, east, and south), with the Strait of Gibraltar facing it on the opposite shore. It covers an area of approximately 19 square kilometers and is located 26 kilometers from the nearest point on the southern coast of Spain.

The city is enclosed by border walls, and the distance between the Moroccan border and Ceuta is very short, ranging from just 2 to 3 kilometers between the beach of the Moroccan town of Fnideq and the closest maritime border point of Ceuta (Tragal Pier).