Spain Deploys Floating Barrier at Ceuta Border After Massive Migrant Surge
Spain's interior ministry announced the installation of a floating barrier at the sea wall between Morocco and the enclave of Ceuta following a wave of tens of thousands of migrants, with most having returned to Morocco and at least 67 deaths reported.
Spanish authorities said on Saturday they would install a floating barrier near the sea wall that separates Morocco from the autonomous city of Ceuta after a sudden influx of tens of thousands of migrants entered the enclave two days earlier. The Interior Ministry reported that roughly 48,300 of the estimated 50,000-60,000 arrivals had already gone back to Morocco by late Friday, while hundreds more continued to leave during the night.
For the migrants who remained, many attempted to evade police and local residents, leaving their next steps uncertain. A government spokesperson in Ceuta said at least 67 people died while trying to reach the city in recent days.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that buoys would be placed to create a “containment barrier, a physical barrier, if only a visual one,” aiming to reinforce the border.
"We are installing buoys to create a containment barrier, a physical barrier, if only a visual one," Sánchez said.