49,000 have crossed the border

5 points about: Migrant crisis in Ceuta

Hanna Kindwall

Published 14:09Updated 14:59

Approximately 50,000 migrants have crossed the border from Morocco to Spanish Ceuta.

Here are 5 points about the chaos in Ceuta.

1. 49,000 have crossed the border – half have returned

Tens of thousands of migrants have crossed the border from Morocco to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in the past 24 hours. A total of 85,000 people live in the exclave.

The situation is described as chaotic and the reception centers are overcrowded. Isabel, who lives in Ceuta, describes a tense situation.

– It is a terrible chaos, it is indescribable – you have to experience it, she says.

On Friday afternoon, Spain's Interior Ministry announced that half of them, around 25,000 people, have now returned to Morocco voluntarily.

2. At least 27 dead

At least 27 people have died, most of whom drowned while trying to cross the border. Many migrants, including unaccompanied children, are sleeping on the streets and in parks, reports El Pais.

Local police have called the situation a humanitarian crisis, reports The Guardian. 
Thousands of people swam across.

3. Domstolsbeslut orsak3. Court decision reason

The Spanish exclave of Ceuta borders Morocco and has long been a route for migrants trying to reach Europe.

Earlier in July, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea on their way to the exclave cannot be immediately sent back to Morocco.

Spain's Interior Ministry has criticized people smugglers for exploiting the ruling to "encourage the flow of undocumented migrants."

4. Prime Minister on the spot

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit Ceuta on Friday to talk to regional president Jesús Vivas about the situation in the exclave.

- What happened yesterday in Ceuta is a violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty, Pedro Sánchez said during the visit.

Spain has sent military personnel to support the police in the exclave. The police forces have also been reinforced with personnel from other parts of Spain.

5. Strong reactions in the EU

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni is now threatening to stop Schengen cooperation due to the crisis.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls the situation in Ceuta “unacceptable”, and the EU border agency Frontex has stepped up its preparedness.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has also commented on the situation.

“It is important that Spain acts urgently to gain control of the situation and fulfill its commitments within Schengen cooperation,” Kristersson writes.