Spain mobilises troops as thousands breach Ceuta border
Thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, prompting the government to deploy military units and draw criticism from right-wing politicians.
Thousands of migrants surged into Ceuta, the Spanish exclave on Morocco’s coast, on Thursday, scaling fences, cutting through barriers and swimming across the maritime border. Spanish authorities said the number could be in the tens of thousands, though the exact figure could not be confirmed, and at least 18 people died during the attempt.
The Spanish government announced the deployment of armed forces to reinforce police units, adding air, naval and diving support to secure the border. The European Union offered assistance from its border-guard agency, Frontex, to help restore order.
"We are in a situation of total humanitarian and social emergency," Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas told a radio station.
"The situation in Ceuta is desperate," conservative leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said, urging the government to declare a national emergency.
"This is an invasion," far-right party Vox leader Santiago Abascal declared, accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration of encouraging illegal migration.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also described the images as "shocking" and warned that uncontrolled illegal immigration threatens European border security. Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares summoned Italy’s ambassador after Italian officials linked the influx to Sánchez’s regularisation plan for undocumented migrants.
The incident revives long-standing tensions over Ceuta and the neighboring enclave of Melilla, the only EU land borders with Africa, which have periodically been used by migrants seeking entry to Europe. Analysts noted that the surge may be linked to diplomatic friction between Spain and Morocco, possibly related to Spain’s recent outreach to Algeria.