Madrid: The death toll of those attempting to reach Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta by sea rose to at least 34 on Friday, while around 50,000 migrants have entered the enclave from neighbouring Morocco over the past two days.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the incident as a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.
Most of the victims drowned while attempting to swim around the El Tarajal border breakwater separating Morocco and Ceuta, according to the Spanish authorities, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Sanchez travelled to Ceuta on Friday together with Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to inspect the situation. During the visit, he announced new measures to strengthen border security, including the installation of floating barriers near the El Tarajal breakwater to prevent further sea crossings.
He also pledged to accelerate the identification and return of irregular migrants, thanked Morocco for its cooperation in border management and repatriation, and vowed to intensify efforts against human trafficking networks.
The Spanish government has reinforced security in Ceuta by deploying additional National Police officers, Civil Guard personnel and military units, while emergency reception facilities remain under heavy pressure.
The Spanish authorities estimate that around 50,000 migrants have entered Ceuta over the past two days, making it one of the largest irregular migration crises ever recorded on the enclave’s border.
The influx far exceeds that recorded during Ceuta’s previous major migration crisis in May 2021, when more than 10,000 migrants were estimated to have crossed the border irregularly. Large numbers of migrants have been wandering through Ceuta’s streets since Thursday, with many spending the night outdoors, while crossings from neighbouring Morocco continue.
Prime Minister Sanchez arrived in Ceuta on Friday. Authorities said they would seek to return those who entered irregularly as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, hundreds of migrants have returned to Morocco through the breakwater at the border.
In the other Spanish North African enclave of Melilla, the regional government said between 300 and 400 people crossed in from Morocco overnight.
The influx has also triggered diplomatic tensions between Spain and Italy. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for the suspension of Schengen arrangements with Spain, while Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares rejected Tajani’s remarks as “partisan demagoguery” and said he would summon the Italian ambassador in Madrid on Friday.
France, meanwhile, ordered the immediate reinforcement of checks along its border with Spain and activated a rapid-response border unit to conduct more extensive inspections.
(IANS)
