Spain has announced plans to install a 500-metre-long containment barrier along the sea border between its North African territory, Ceuta, and neighbouring Morocco. This initiative follows an unprecedented influx of between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants who breached the frontier earlier this week. Tragically, the death toll has risen to 67, with several individuals reportedly drowning and others succumbing to injuries sustained during a stampede while attempting to cross a breakwater barrier, as reported by the Spanish government on Saturday.
A limited number of exhausted migrants who swam to Tarajal beach in Ceuta on Saturday morning were met by soldiers, who escorted them back across the border. According to the Spanish interior ministry, the majority of those who entered the Spanish territory have since been returned to Morocco.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska addressed the media in Ceuta, stating, “We are relentless against those who break the law.” When questioned about the circumstances surrounding this substantial border breach, in light of the security measures in place on both sides, Minister Marlaska defended cooperation with the Moroccan government, stating that “the events require an evaluation by Spain and Morocco.” He noted that this collaboration allowed Spain to effectively manage the situation within 24 hours, reinforcing that “Morocco is not a threat to Ceuta, or to the rest of Spain. It is a reliable partner.”
After several days of chaos that saw streets crowded with individuals seeking a better life in Spain, residents of Ceuta awoke to an uneasy calm on Saturday. However, security concerns in the autonomous city, which has a population of 84,000, remain a critical issue.
“Life in this city has been disrupted as a result of the border incident,” said Ceuta’s President, Juan Jesús Vivas. “The return of people has begun satisfactorily, but the process must be completed,” he said. “The city has not yet returned to normal.”
In the Moroccan city of Tangier, about 75 kilometres west of Ceuta, the main railway station was crowded with people returning from Ceuta or the border. Some were exhausted and sleeping on the ground. “I tried to cross, but I failed. I spent two days near the border with Ceuta and couldn’t find anything to eat,” stated Abdalah, an aspiring migrant who asked to keep his last name confidential for fear of retaliation.
On the road to Fnideq, which borders Ceuta, many migrants walked toward the fence, some barefoot and hoping for another chance. Taxi drivers and bus operators refused to take them, fearing government retaliation, while police checked every vehicle heading toward Fnideq.
Among those who managed to enter Ceuta was 23-year-old Mohamed Hatri, who said, “They’ve shut everything down to force us back to our country. But even if they close it all off, we’re here to stay, whether we’re hungry or not.”
This article used information from The Associated Press.
