Why did 60,000 migrants enter Spain’s Ceuta in a day? Here’s what happened

The sudden influx overwhelmed the small autonomous city, whose population is around 85,000. Authorities described the situation as a humanitarian crisis after thousands of migrants, including children, were left without shelter, while security forces struggled to restore order. Spain deployed additional police officers and armed forces to Ceuta as violence broke out along the border. At least 57 migrants died during attempts to cross into the territory, reported AP.

Why did so many migrants head to Ceuta?

Ceuta sits on the northern coast of Africa but forms part of Spain and, therefore, the European Union. Many migrants try to reach Europe by swimming from the nearby Moroccan towns of Fnideq and Belyounech or by attempting to cross border fences.

Many of those who entered Ceuta said they left Morocco in search of better jobs and higher wages. “There’s nothing at home. I’d have to work 12-hour shifts for a meager wage. That’s why I came here,” 21-year-old Abdulah Buji from Tetouan told AP. “But I haven’t found any opportunities here either, so I have to go back,” he added. 

Spanish authorities have linked the sudden surge to a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court. The court ruled that migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said human smuggling networks spread a false interpretation of the ruling, convincing migrants that they would be allowed to remain in Spain if they reached Ceuta by sea.

“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organizations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday,” Sanchez said, according to AP report.

Some migrant rights activists in Morocco questioned that explanation. They said that many migrants would probably have been unaware of the legal ruling and suggested that economic hardship remained the main reason behind the mass movement, reported AP.

What happened after border crossing?

The sudden arrival of thousands of people pushed Ceuta’s resources to their limits. Juan Jesus Vivas described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable.” Thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, slept in parks and on sidewalks while many wandered through the streets looking for food, shelter or transport back to Morocco, reported AP.

Rachid Sbihi, who heads a local workers’ association representing Spain’s Civil Guard officers, called the situation “a serious humanitarian crisis.” “It’s chaotic,” Sbihi said, as reported by AP.

Spanish security forces strengthened border controls inside Ceuta while Moroccan police tried to stop more people from crossing. Moroccan officers used tear gas, water cannons and warning shots to disperse crowds gathering near the border, reported AP. Security forces also clashed with migrants on the Moroccan side.

Many of those who reached Ceuta later chose to return home because conditions inside the city quickly deteriorated. Spain’s Interior Ministry said thousands had already gone back to Morocco voluntarily.

The humanitarian crisis also turned deadly. At least 41 migrants lost their lives during the crossing, reported AP. Some drowned while trying to swim to Ceuta, while others died in a stampede near the breakwater fence at Tarajal beach.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the border breach as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.” He blamed human smuggling groups for exploiting young migrants with false promises. “They deceive so many young people, and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths, whether in the ocean or, as in this case, at Spain’s border in the autonomous city of Ceuta,” Sanchez said, as reported by AP.