What's happening in Ceuta

Over eight thousand people have entered Spain in recent days by swimming or on makeshift rafts through the enclave in North Africa

(Photo: Antonio Sempere / Getty Images) Over 8 thousand people, including 1,500 minors, they entered from Morocco into the Spanish territories of the autonomous city of Ceuta, located on the North African coast facing the Iberian Peninsula. A record entry, which took place in 36 hours and which seems to have been caused by the ongoing diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat. The Spanish government has employed over 1,400 soldiers and police officers and, to date, over 4,000 people have already been repatriated.

Thousands of people have entered Ceuta by swimming or on makeshift rafts, to get around the high fences that separate the city from the territories of Morocco. Spanish troops used tear gas and batons to drive people off the coast and prevent them from crossing the border. Ceuta, like nearby Melilla, is a Spanish enclave (a closed territory within the borders of a state other than the one it belongs to) in North Africa. For years the two cities have been the arrival point for migrants attempting to enter the European Union via Spain, but the scale of the entry of people in recent days has been unprecedented.

The sudden influx of people arrived following the growing tensions between Madrid and Rabat, due to the decision of the Spanish government to allow Brahim Ghali, independence leader of Western Sahara, to be treated for Covid-19 in Spain. Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco in 1975 and its sovereignty over the region was recognized last year by former US President Donald Trump. However, local political organizations have never stopped fighting for the independence of the area.


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Europe Migrants globalData.fldTopic = "Europe, Migrants"

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