More than 48,000 migrants have returned to Morocco from Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, after tens of thousands crossed the border in recent days.
On Friday, Spain’s interior ministry informed AFP that 48,300 migrants had crossed back into Morocco.
Earlier, Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesus Vivas, estimated that some 60,000 people had entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco by land and sea, with many swimming around a border barrier that extends into the water.
The death toll stood at 18 in the morning, but authorities have already updated the count to 57.
Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city located on the North African coast. Ceuta and Melilla—another independent Spanish city in North Africa—form the European Union’s only land border with Africa.
Both cities have repeatedly seen a surge in attempted crossings by migrants hoping to reach Europe.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited Ceuta following the mass crossings, stated that his administration is mobilizing all available resources to address the crisis.
Sánchez branded the crossings a “violation” of Spain’s territorial sovereignty and announced that officials are accelerating the repatriation of migrants who arrived this week.
The Spanish government subsequently said it deployed soldiers to police the exclave and maintain security. However, details for the mass crossing were not revealed
Italy Halts Schengen Free-Travel Agreement With Spain
Meawhile, Italy has suspended its Schengen free-travel agreement with Spain after police reported that over 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous enclave in North Africa.
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, stated that the government introduced the temporary suspension to “protect the security of our citizens and defend the European borders.”
Officials revealed the action on Friday, just as Spain reported that authorities had returned over 48,000 migrants to Morocco.
The Schengen free-travel agreement is a pact that eliminates internal border checks between participating European nations, including Spain and Italy.
Citizens of Schengen countries can cross all member states’ internal borders without presenting their passports, while foreigners holding valid Schengen visas can travel freely across Europe.
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