Thousands of migrants still in Ceuta after border crisis, local leader says
The Spanish territory's mayor-president also says 100 deaths occurred as a result of 78,000 migrants crossing from neighbouring Morocco.
Thousands of migrants remain in Ceuta, a Spanish territory, following a recent border crisis, according to the local leader.
Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants are still in Ceuta after a much larger influx of people last week. Juan Jesús Vivas, the leader of the North African exclave, expressed "profound sorrow" to the European Parliament over the "irreparable tragedy" that resulted in 100 deaths. This occurred after approximately 78,000 migrants from neighboring Morocco arrived by sea within hours.
Vivas's remarks come amidst reports from Moroccan media of new calls for mass crossings circulating on social media.
The crisis has strained relations among EU nations with open borders and drawn criticism of the Spanish government. However, the EU Commission has praised Spain's "swift response," which included deploying armed forces to Ceuta and Melilla, its other territory on the North African coast.
On Thursday, Vivas, a conservative, criticized the national government's handling of the situation in his address to the European Parliament. He stated that he personally informed Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that the response was delayed and inadequate.
"The fact that we don't have numbers on how many are still in Ceuta shows how few resources we have to deal with this situation," Ceuta's mayor-president said. He added that previous warnings from local officials about an increase in migrant sea crossings had been disregarded.
Thousands of migrant children are believed to be in Ceuta, where authorities are registering them.
Vivas noted that while the return of nearly 75,000 migrants to Morocco had "considerably alleviated" the situation, Ceuta had not yet returned to normal. He described an ongoing humanitarian emergency and public order disturbances in the territory. He also stated that it was "basically impossible" to return the minors who had crossed, as their consent was required.
Spain's interior minister announced that the government had allocated €25 million (£21.4 million; $28.8 million) to assist minors in Ceuta. However, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports that volunteer groups in Ceuta have registered 4,860 migrant children, double the official estimates. A volunteer told the paper, "Neighbors are taking them into their homes, but the situation is unsustainable."
According to El País, no migrant children have been relocated to mainland Spain so far, with right-wing local authorities hesitant to accept them. While some on the right have cited an agreement with Morocco for cooperation on returning migrant children to their families, Melilla's conservative leader has called for a "gesture of solidarity" from his mainland counterparts.
Juan Jesús Vivas accused the Spanish government of ignoring warning signs before the large influx of migrants.
The exact reasons for tens of thousands of migrants attempting to cross into Ceuta last Thursday and Friday remain unclear. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner suggested that criminal networks spreading disinformation were responsible, a view shared by Sánchez.
The crossings occurred after Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be summarily returned to Morocco. The two exclaves have long been a point of diplomatic contention between Spain and Morocco, which does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over them.
The sheer number of people swimming to Ceuta simultaneously has raised questions about why Morocco's border guards did not intervene. Vivas characterized the incident as an "unequivocal attack." He commented, "Our people feel sad, helpless, anxious, fearful and worried - and they have good reason to, because it is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again."
Spain's interior minister stated he was working "firmly" with Morocco to prevent further "violations" and that any migrants still in Ceuta would be returned as soon as possible. Brunner suggested the EU should use all available leverage, including visa policy and trade, to secure Morocco's cooperation on migration.
Morocco, for its part, has blamed Spain's Supreme Court for the crisis. An unnamed government source told local outlets that "the deterrent element of the system collapsed and the dam gave way, not under the weight of the criminals, but of a judge's decision."
Meanwhile, Moroccan media is reporting fresh online calls to coordinate another mass border-crossing attempt, similar to the influx seen last week. News site Hespress reports that posts and messages are circulating on social media encouraging people to join closed WhatsApp groups, along with hashtags related to migration to Spain and work opportunities there. This is despite warnings from Moroccan authorities that those promoting irregular migration could face prosecution.
The Ceuta crossings have also created a diplomatic rift among EU nations that share open borders as part of the Schengen area. Italy, supported by Finland and Denmark, suspended its Schengen arrangement with Spain. The Czech Republic called for Spain's membership to be temporarily suspended, even though Sánchez noted Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.
Brunner stated that the EU was "ready to do more" in Ceuta but had not received a further request for EU border guards from the Spanish government.