CEUTA, Spain – Authorities in the Spanish territory of Ceuta have called for a national emergency to be declared after thousands of migrants attempted to enter the enclave from Morocco, overwhelming local reception facilities and increasing pressure on border security.
Okay News reports that the Spanish Interior Ministry rejected requests to declare a national emergency or deploy the military, saying migration concerns do not meet the legal threshold for such action. The ministry, however, pledged to safeguard public safety and the country’s borders while working closely with Moroccan authorities.
According to Juan Jesus Vivas, the head of Ceuta’s regional government, about 1,500 migrants reached the territory by swimming from Morocco over the past week. He described the situation as a humanitarian and social emergency, saying facilities for unaccompanied minors were operating at around 2,400% of their intended capacity, forcing hundreds of migrants to sleep outdoors.
Videos and photographs from the area showed large groups of migrants, including families with women and children, crossing near the Tarajal beach breakwaters into Ceuta. Many reportedly celebrated upon arrival, while local authorities warned that more than 2,000 migrants have crossed into the territory from Morocco this month.
The Spanish government said Moroccan security forces were preventing many additional crossing attempts and described cooperation between the two countries as close and ongoing. Ceuta, located on the northern coast of Africa at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, has long served as one of the European Union’s most sensitive external border points.
