Madrid: At least 34 people have died after an estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta, Spain’s autonomous enclave in North Africa, amid an escalating border crisis with Morocco.
According to local officials, thousands of migrants reached Ceuta by swimming across the sea, while many others attempted to scale the border fence separating the Spanish territory from Morocco. Several people drowned during the crossing, while others were killed in a stampede near the Tarajal border fence.
Rachid Sbihi, head of a local government employees’ union, said many of the victims drowned in the water, while others lost their lives during the chaotic attempts to breach the border barrier. He described the situation as a serious humanitarian crisis.
Ceuta regional president Juan Jesus Vivas said the number of migrants who had entered the territory was equivalent to nearly 70% of the city’s resident population, calling the situation “completely unbearable”.
Officials said thousands of people crossed the border over the past few days, overwhelming local authorities and creating widespread disruption across the enclave.
In response to the worsening crisis, Vivas on Thursday declared a humanitarian and social emergency and urged the Spanish government in Madrid to deploy the military to restore control at the border.
While Spain’s Interior Ministry initially rejected calls to declare a national emergency, it later announced the deployment of armed forces to strengthen security along the border.
Ceuta, although geographically located in North Africa and surrounded by Morocco, is an autonomous city of Spain and forms part of the European Union.
