Arrival of Numerous Migrants: Spanish Enclave Ceuta Calls for Military Deployment
Numerous migrants have recently entered the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta — hundreds are said to have arrived in the past few hours alone. The regional president called on Madrid to deploy the military.
More than 1,500 migrants have reached the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which borders Morocco, within one week, predominantly by swimming, according to authorities. Hundreds more people reached the territory in the past few hours alone, as reported by Spanish state broadcaster RTVE and other media outlets citing regional authorities.
In light of this influx, Regional President Juan Jesús Vivas called on the central government in Madrid to declare a state of emergency for "reasons of national security." He also requested the deployment of additional police forces and the army to the border between Morocco and Ceuta. The Interior Ministry in Madrid stated that it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the national border, but that the government could not declare a national state of emergency given the migration situation.
According to a media report, migrants also crossed into Ceuta over the border fence today. They had overcome the barrier installations on the outskirts of the city, which had not been guarded by police at the time, reported the Spanish news agency EFE.
Reception Facilities Overwhelmed
The Spanish enclave has for years been considered one of the most important entry points for African migrants into Europe. People repeatedly attempt to reach the Spanish enclave — and thereby EU territory — from Morocco by swimming or by crossing the border installations. Their numbers rose sharply again in recent days.
As early as Wednesday, Vivas had stated that the reception facilities were completely overwhelmed. Hundreds of migrants had to spend the night on the streets. Videos from Tarajal beach showed crowds of people moving around the breakwaters, across the beach and through the streets.
