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At least 60 people have died attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after up to 60,000 migrants crossed into the territory from Morocco in just 24 hours, triggering a humanitarian and political crisis in Spain.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the mass influx as "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity" as the surge overwhelmed the enclave, which has a population of about 85,000 people. Sánchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, July 31, said the Spanish government would use all available resources to guarantee the safety of residents.
He blamed the unprecedented crossings on human trafficking networks, which he said had taken advantage of a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling preventing the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Spain's other North African enclave, Melilla.
“That has spread like wildfire during these last few hours through the networks of mafias that traffic in human beings and has produced an avalanche of the characteristics and dimension that we experienced yesterday,” Sánchez said.
The prime minister announced plans to establish a temporary reception centre to facilitate the documentation, registration, triage and expedited removal of migrants with no legal basis to remain in Spain. He also said the government would install a visible barrier of buoys near the breakwater at Ceuta's Tarajal beach to clearly mark the border while complying with the Supreme Court's ruling.
Spain's Interior Ministry, which has deployed additional police officers and soldiers to the enclave, said more than 37,500 migrants had voluntarily crossed back into Morocco by Friday afternoon. The developments prompted strong reactions across Europe.
Italy announced it would suspend the Schengen border-free travel arrangements with Spain for one month in response to the migration surge. Although Italy does not share a land border with Spain, the measure means travellers moving by air or sea between the two countries will be required to present passports. Italy's Interior Ministry also said it had agreed with France to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian border to prevent undocumented migrants from crossing.
