Madrid announced on Thursday that it would send soldiers to Ceuta, to maintain security after hundreds of migrants entered the Spanish North African exclave from Morocco, primarily by swimming.
Officials have reported nine deaths.
Migration from Morocco to Spain’s two North African enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, has long stirred political friction between the two countries, with hundreds crossing the border at times.
AFP reporters witnessed a steady stream of adults and children—most of them soaking wet—entering the town. Migrants had left discarded flotation rings and clothing on the beach near where the frontier barrier meets the sea.
“The Armed Forces will reinforce the Civil Guard in the exercise of its powers and any others that may be necessary to maintain security in the city of Ceuta,” Spain’s interior ministry said.
The statement did not specify how many soldiers the government would dispatch to the small territory of 18.5 square kilometers (seven square miles), but noted that the Civil Guard’s strength there would nearly double from the existing level of 80.
Authorities will also dispatch diving teams and coast guard vessels.
Public television footage showed Civil Guard officers simply monitoring migrants entering near a border post in southern Ceuta.
This marks the largest influx of people into Ceuta since May 2021, when more than 10,000 migrants from Morocco reached the autonomous city in just two days.
The Spanish government’s representative in the enclave reported that emergency services have retrieved the bodies of nine migrants who drowned while swimming to Ceuta.
Ceuta’s president, Juan Vivas, announced Wednesday that 1,500 migrants have arrived by sea over the last several days.
Vivas had already warned that overcrowded welcome centers face a steady strain, with more than 200 migrants entering each day.
Backstory…
The latest influx highlights the persistent migration pressure on Spain’s North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which share land borders with Morocco and serve as the European Union’s only terrestrial frontiers with Africa.
For years, the two enclaves have been major entry points for migrants and asylum seekers hoping to reach Europe, prompting Spanish authorities to reinforce border fencing, increase surveillance and strengthen cooperation with Moroccan security forces to curb irregular crossings.
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