More than 60,000 migrants have swarmed Spain’s border in north Africa over the past 24 hours, the country’s Interior Ministry has said.
Thousands of migrants swarmed to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in north Africa, yesterday, triggering Madrid to deploy the military there.
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Videos circulating social media yesterday showed swathes of people swimming up to beaches in Ceuta, coming across from surrounding African nations such as Morocco.
Madrid responded by deploying the military to the enclave, which is approximately eight miles away from the mainland, to deal with the ongoing situation.
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At least 18 people have died trying to reach the Spanish city, the authorities have said.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is due to arrive in the city later today, as other politicians condemn his relaxed migration policies for the unfolding crisis.
Mr Sánchez’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, is already in Ceuta.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, another Spanish enclave, which is roughly 250 miles east of the former, are autonomous cities bordering northern Morocco.
They represent the EU’s only land borders to north Africa.
The Spanish Government approved plans earlier this year to give legal status to half a million undocumented migrants.
Mr Sánchez said in April that the plan was both “an act of justice” and a necessity for the country.
Spain’s Supreme Court also ruled this month that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta, or the enclave of Melilla, could not be summarily returned under the country’s special border-rejection policy.
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The People’s Party, Spain’s conservative opposition, tried to block the migration plans, insisting the decision would reward illegal migrants and encourage more to enter Spain.
Santiago Abascal, the President of Vox, Spain’s right-wing political party, called Mr Sánchez a “traitor” following the influx of people on Ceuta’s coastline.
He wrote on X: “Sánchez is a traitor, a corrupt man, and an indecent person.
“He acts as the enemy of the Spanish people.
“The national emergency can only be resolved by ousting him and putting him in the dock.”
In another post, he said: “They’re not fleeing from war or poverty. It’s an invasion. They are military-aged men invited by Pedro Sánchez’s corrupt Government to storm our borders so they can then roam Spain’s streets shouting ‘Viva Pedro Sánchez’.
“For every [crime in Spain] there is a direct culprit: the mafia boss desperately calling in more hitmen to stay in power.”
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni weighed in on the situation, calling it “shocking” and floated the idea of suspending Spain from the EU’s Schengen free-movement deal.
Jordan Bardella, the President of France’s National Rally, also commented, saying Mr Sánchez has “opened the doors of Europe to all dangers”.
Writing on X, he said: “By regularising hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has opened the doors of Europe to all dangers.
“The result is clear: for several days now, thousands of migrants have been flooding into the Ceuta enclave. Tomorrow, they will be on our streets, against the will of the French people.
“The Government must urgently strengthen controls at the land border with Spain. In power, we will defend a reform of Schengen limiting free movement to European citizens only, and we will expel undocumented immigrants: it is time to send the signal that France and Europe no longer accept mass immigration.”
Morocco’s ambassador to Spain Karima Benyaich said the crisis was “not wanted” and urged the migrants to “return” to their country.
Spain has since struck a deal with Morocco, it is understood, to return the people who had entered the enclave, local broadcaster TVE said.
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