Hundreds of migrants have set up an improvised camp on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, while local authorities are trying to manage the consequences of the massive wave of illegal crossings at the border over the past week.
Spain estimates that in the last four days, 69,500 migrants have been returned to Morocco, a number that exceeds the initial estimates of around 50,000 people who arrived in Ceuta last Thursday, according to The Independent.
Ceuta, located on the North African coast, is an autonomous city under Spanish administration.
– Crisis in Ceuta showed the greatest vulnerability of Schengen. Where is Europe’s solidarity?
– The official death toll is 72 on the Spanish side of the border and 11 on the Moroccan side.
– Many of the migrants remaining in Ceuta have stated that the closure of shops, leading to food shortages, hostility from some residents, and the impossibility of continuing their journey to mainland Spain have put them in this situation.
– Ceuta and the other Spanish enclave in North Africa, Melilla, are often the scene of attempts by migrants trying to reach Europe.
– Images from the city showed dozens of migrants resting on El Trampolín beach, many of them wrapped in towels to protect themselves from the wind, while military and police vehicles patrolled nearby.
– Juan Jesús Vivas, the leader of the Ceuta administration, told Telecinco that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants are still in the enclave. He added that the two reception centers – one for adults and one for minors – are „overcrowded to the point of collapse.”
– Local official Alberto Gaitán stated that the city currently hosts 862 migrant minors, who benefit from special legal protections against deportation.
### Crisis Causes Diplomatic Tensions in the European Union
– The crisis has fueled anti-immigration rhetoric across Europe and has generated diplomatic tensions within the European Union regarding border policy. Spain has accused some European partners of having a non-constructive and polarizing reaction.
– Crisis in Ceuta. Spain says it has repatriated almost all migrants. EU states react with border measures.
– Spain’s Prime Minister, outraged after the crisis in Ceuta, accuses some EU states of „selfish and illegal” reactions.
– Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that Spain has previously supported other EU member states during migration crises and now expects the same level of solidarity.
– The European Union has convened an extraordinary video conference meeting of Interior Ministers for Tuesday to discuss the situation.
– Albares accused the Italian government of contributing to the spread of disinformation.
– He stated that Morocco immediately offered police support and did not impose conditions for cooperation, allowing for the rapid return of the majority who crossed the border.
– In contrast, Juan Jesús Vivas criticized the Moroccan government, stating that „there is a widely held perception in Ceuta that Morocco allowed, if not orchestrated, this crisis.”
– „Morocco has shown us that it is not a reliable partner. We have no choice but to take all necessary measures to ensure that this does not happen again,” Vivas told the Spanish newspaper El País.
– On Sunday, the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior attributed the wave of illegal crossings to misinformation on social networks, human trafficking networks, and a misinterpretation of a Spanish court decision that prohibits the immediate return of intercepted migrants at sea. This is also Spain’s official position.
### Spain Claims Morocco Allowed Mass Crossings
– According to El País and the Spanish radio station Cadena SER, citing officials familiar with the situation, Spanish intelligence services have concluded that Morocco did not plan the mass crossing but allowed it to happen.
– Reports suggest that border controls by Moroccan authorities were gradually relaxed in July and were lifted when crowds headed towards the Tarajal crossing point during Morocco’s Throne Day celebrations.
– The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
– In a statement issued on Sunday, the institution stated that Morocco is „committed to strengthening international cooperation and coordination in combating illegal migration and human trafficking.”
– Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Saturday that Spain’s external intelligence service, CNI, under the Ministry of Defense, did not warn him of an imminent increase in the number of migrants. According to El País, this caused tensions between the two ministries.
– A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior downplayed information about the existence of these tensions.
– Defense Minister Margarita Robles refused to specify whether the CNI had prior information about the mass crossing of migrants, emphasizing that the service’s activities are secret and praising the „exceptional” work of personnel within Spanish security services.