At least 60 people have reportedly died while attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after an estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into the territory from Morocco within 24 hours, triggering a humanitarian and political crisis.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the mass influx as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” during a visit to Ceuta on Friday, pledging that the government would deploy all available resources to safeguard residents and restore order.
Sánchez attributed the unprecedented surge to human trafficking networks, which he said exploited a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling preventing the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Spain’s other North African enclave, Melilla.
According to the prime minister, the ruling quickly spread through migrant smuggling networks, resulting in the large-scale crossings witnessed over the past 24 hours.
To address the situation, Sánchez announced plans to establish a temporary reception centre to facilitate the documentation, registration, medical screening and processing of migrants without legal grounds to remain in Spain.
He also said the government would install a visible buoy barrier near Ceuta’s Tarajal beach to clearly mark the maritime border while complying with the Supreme Court’s decision.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said more than 37,500 migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco by Friday afternoon, while additional police officers and military personnel had been deployed to reinforce security in the enclave.
The migration surge has also prompted reactions across Europe.
Italy announced the temporary suspension of Schengen border-free travel arrangements with Spain for one month. Under the measure, travellers moving between the two countries by air or sea will be required to present passports.
Italian authorities also said they had reached an agreement with France to strengthen border controls along the Franco-Italian frontier to curb the movement of undocumented migrants.
