By Zainab Bakare
Spain has deployed troops to its North African enclave of Ceuta after an unprecedented wave of migrants crossed from Morocco, overwhelming local authorities and escalating tensions over border security.
Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas described the situation as “unsustainable” after an estimated 60,000 migrants entered the territory within 24 hours. Spain’s Interior Ministry, however, said about 50,000 people crossed into the enclave, adding that more than 25,000 had voluntarily returned to Morocco.
At least 34 people were reported dead during the mass crossing.
The influx came shortly after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be immediately returned to Morocco.
The decision is widely seen as a key factor behind the sudden increase in crossings.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the development, describing it as an “attack” on Spain’s borders, and vowed that migrants who entered the country illegally would be repatriated as quickly as possible.
Spanish authorities have also reinforced security in the nearby enclave of Melilla following reports of hundreds of additional crossings.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two autonomous territories on Morocco’s northern coast, represent the European Union’s only land borders with Africa and have long served as major entry points for migrants seeking to reach Europe.
The latest surge has renewed concerns over migration management and border security across the region.
