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Spain’s PM visits Ceuta after 34 migrants die breaching border from Morocco
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- At least 34 migrants died attempting to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco amid a surge of around 60,000 crossings in the past 24 hours, with many drowning or killed in stampedes.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the crossings as a violation of sovereignty and announced accelerated repatriations, with about 25,000 migrants returned to Morocco on Friday alone.
- The surge is linked by Ceuta authorities to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling limiting immediate returns of sea arrivals, though some officials and activists dispute this as the primary cause.
- European and neighboring countries, including Germany, France, and Italy, expressed concern and pledged support, with France tightening its border controls and Italy threatening to suspend the Schengen agreement with Spain.
- Ceuta’s regional president called for a national emergency and military deployment to secure the border, but Spain’s Interior Ministry declined, promising instead to allocate additional resources to manage the crisis.
