Some drowned and others got caught up in crush, official says, as incident prompts criticism by other EU nations

Some drowned and others got caught up in crush, official says, as incident prompts criticism by other EU nations

At least 34 people have died trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after more than 40,000 migrants entered the tiny territory from Morocco in a matter of hours, triggering a political crisis for the Madrid government and unleashing a barrage of criticism from other EU countries.

The large influx of people arriving in Ceuta by swimming across from neighbouring Morocco or scaling the high border fence has caught the city of 85,000 off guard and resulted in what one local police association has called a “serious humanitarian crisis”.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who arrived in Ceuta on Friday, described the influx as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” and said he would use all the state resources at his disposal to guarantee the safety of the people of Ceuta.

  • flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    82·
    9 hours ago

    Moroccan government throwing a tantrum again and sacrificing their own citizens.
    Not sure what they want this time, most likely it’s related to Spain signing some treaties with Algeria a few days ago.

    • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.worldEnglish
      61·
      6 hours ago

      [Spain’s prime minister] attributed the mass crossing to “human trafficking mafias” that had taken advantage of a decision by Spain’s supreme court, which recently ruled that those intercepted at sea while trying to enter Ceuta, or Spain’s other north African enclave of Melilla, could not be summarily returned under special rules.

      Also,

      The Moroccan government is asking its citizens who have crossed the border to return home. Morocco’s ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, said at an embassy event Thursday that the situation in Ceuta was “not wanted by the Kingdom of Morocco,” adding that it would “prefer legal, orderly, and safe immigration for everyone.”

      https://time.com/article/2026/07/31/ceuta-spain-morocco-africa-explainer/ (arc)