Tenberal correspondent Simon Wong reports:

The Spanish enclave of Ceuta reported that approximately 60,000 people crossed into the territory from neighboring Morocco within a single day, leading to chaos and leaving at least 56 people dead. The military was deployed to maintain order, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived on-site to inspect the situation. The incident has triggered a diplomatic dispute, with Italy expressing concern over the influx of illegal migrants and calling for the suspension of Spain's Schengen status.

On Thursday, large crowds filled the beach connecting Morocco to the Spanish African enclave of Ceuta. Looking toward the Moroccan side from Spain, a continuous stream of people stretched along the beach, surging toward Spanish territory. Some bypassed breakwaters, others came ashore on rocky beaches to cross the border, and large rubber dinghies were even seen carrying people to the beach, who then attempted to enter Ceuta's city center.

The border fence proved virtually useless as people continuously arrived by sea. The Spanish Civil Guard arrived at the scene but was unable to prevent the crowd from crossing the border, with some officers even assisting people to land safely. A large number of abandoned life buoys were left on the beach, and multiple people died amid the chaos.

Some who successfully reached the shore raised victory signs. Several stated that they swam to Spain in hopes of a better life.

Salad said: "Because life in Morocco is not good for us. We don't have good medicine, and we don't have good teachers. Life in Morocco is terrible, which is why we swam here."

As night fell, people continued to cross the border and land on the shore. At the request of the local government of Ceuta, authorities in Madrid deployed military forces to the area to assist. Spanish officials estimated that the surge of people toward Ceuta may have been triggered by a Supreme Court ruling in early July, which held that individuals arrested while attempting to enter Ceuta and another enclave, Melilla, by sea could not be immediately deported under specific provisions, combined with incitement by human smuggling syndicates. Today, people continued landing on the beaches via sea routes from neighboring Morocco. Tens of thousands of people have been involved in this influx into Ceuta. Moroccan police deployed additional personnel on nearby hills to prevent crowds from surging toward Ceuta, which has a population of just over 80,000. Officers carrying shields dispersed crowds on the hills, with some individuals subdued and taken away, while others chose to head back to Morocco.

The incident has also sparked a diplomatic row. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that Spain's Schengen Area status should be suspended, while the foreign minister expressed concern that uncontrolled illegal immigration could threaten national security.

An enclave refers geographically to a territory that is not contiguous with a country's mainland. Spain has two enclaves in Africa, both bordering Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla. They are also the only territories of the European Union and the Schengen Area on the African continent.

Prime Minister Sánchez, who arrived in Ceuta for an inspection, described the situation as a violation of Spain's territorial integrity and blamed human smuggling rings. He accused them of misinterpreting the Supreme Court's early-July ruling on immediate deportations, deceiving many young people into rushing to Ceuta, resulting in some drowning at sea and even stampedes on the beach. Sánchez stated he would look into amending the law to ensure migrants can be deported. The Supreme Court had ruled at the time that immediate summary deportation applied to those who climbed over land border fences, but not to those arriving via sea. He emphasised that illegal entrants would be deported, while authorities noted that approximately 25,000 people have already voluntarily returned to Morocco.

Authorities in Madrid have deployed military troops to Ceuta to assist. The incident has also provoked a diplomatic crisis, with Italy threatening to suspend Schengen open-border arrangements with Spain. France also announced it will strengthen border checks along its border with Spain. The European Union reiterated that illegal entry is unacceptable and is currently in communication with Moroccan authorities.

Spain accepted over 60,000 illegal migrants in just one day, now Italy wants to break tie with Spain

Never Miss A Story