SPAIN: Spain Deploys Troops to Ceuta After 49,000 Migrants Cross From Morocco in 24 Hours
More than 49,000 migrants poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours on Thursday, the government has said as it deployed troops to battle a growing crisis on the border.
At least 18 people drowned while attempting to cross into Ceuta from North Africa as overwhelmed border guards struggled to deal with the influx.
Spain sent military and police reinforcements to Ceuta after the surge, while Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon trucks and reinforced security at the crossing-gates.
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis.”
“People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts,” he said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit the enclave on Friday morning.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city in northern Morocco, represents the European Union’s only land border with Africa. Both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.