EU races to contain new migrant crisis as thousands cross into Spain's N. Africa enclave

The European Union on Friday scrambled to contain one of the largest migrant crises faced by the block in recent years, after tens of thousands of people poured into Spain's enclave in north Africa in just days.

Some 60,000 migrants have crossed into the territory from Morocco, the local regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told reporters. Many swam around a small border barrier that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea, with 34 people dying in the attempt.

The sudden massive influx has sparked an international crisis for Spain's government, drawing criticism from Germany, Italy and Finland and prompting France to tighten checks on its border with Spain.

Madrid has sent troops, more police, including divers, drones and boats, to boost security in Ceuta. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his interior minister rushed to the enclave on Friday.

On Friday, Spain's interior minister said that 25,000 people who had crossed had voluntarily returned to Morocco.

AFP reporters have seen hundreds of people -- men, women and children -- entering Ceuta, discarding flotation rings and clothes used in the risky passage.

On Friday, hundreds of migrants, mostly young men, were hanging around on the Morocco side of the border while others were seen turning back, saying "there are too many people here".

Spain's Prime minister Pedro Sanchez went to Cueta on Friday. He blamed the inflow on people traffickers taking advantage of a Spanish court ruling. By JORGE GUERRERO (AFP)

"It's catastrophic," said Mohammed, a local taxi driver and Ceuta resident. "Sure, we sympathise with them -- they're having a terrible time in their own country, and all that -- but this isn't the way to enter a place, nor is it a way to live."

It was not immediately clear what prompted this surge of migrants from Morocco. Some previous surges have occurred during tensions between Spain and Morocco.

Sanchez visited Algiers on July 20 -- the first such visit by a Spanish head of government in four years -- marking a thaw in relations with Morocco's rival Algeria, but it was not clear if this visit was related to the influx.

A local official said 60,000 migrants had entered Cueta. Spain's interior ministry said 25,000 of them had voluntarily returned to Morocco. By JORGE GUERRERO (AFP)

Sanchez, in Cueta, blamed the sudden inflow on people-traffickers spreading rumours about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling this month that irregular migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately returned.

"What has emerged from our talks with Moroccan authorities is that trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling," he said. That interpretation "spread like wildfire in recent hours."

Diplomatic fallout

Scenes of the crowds of people surging into a member of the European Union, which normally does not enforce border controls between members, sparked diplomatic fallout.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on social media, called the scenes at Ceuta "unacceptable", adding: "We cannot allow anyone to come to our (European) Union without abiding by our rules."

Italy on Thursday called for Spain to be suspended from Europe's open-borders Schengen zone, prompting Spain to summon Italy's ambassador and accuse Rome of using the crisis for political gain.

Finland and Denmark on Friday backed Italy's call, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded that Morocco "take back illegal migrants immediately".

France and Britain said they stood ready to help Spain with the sudden surge -- but France also said it was tightening its border checks with Spain.

'Bye Morocco'

Ceuta, a territory of 18.5 square kilometres (seven square miles), and similar enclave Melilla are Europe's only two land borders with Africa.

People seen gathering on hilltop on the Moroccan side of the border with Ceuta. By Abdelmajid BZIOUAT (AFP)

Ebullient migrants have been walking through the streets of Ceuta, thanking the Spanish police and calling out: "Bye bye Morocco, hello Spain."

Police and Civil Guards in Ceuta appeared to do little to intervene, although some officers attempted to direct the arrivals to the local migrant reception centre.

On Friday, Moroccan security forces deployed tear gas and water canon to disperse a thousands-strong crowd of mainly young men gathered to try a border crossing, with at least 30 people arrested, an AFP journalist saw.

Morocco's authorities had not yet issued an official statement on the flow of migrants, but a Moroccan official source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the two countries had spoken about the matter.

Previous surges

During a similar surge in 2021, more than 10,000 migrants reached Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco over the course of two days during a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

The row erupted after Spain decided to host for medical treatment a leader of the Polisario Front, whose guerillas fought a long war with Rabat over the independence of the Western Sahara region.

So far, 18 people have died attempting to reach the Spanish enclave. By Abdel Majid BZIOUAT (AFP)

The crisis ended in 2022 when Madrid reversed its long-standing policy of neutrality and backed Morocco's plan for Western Sahara-- a move that had caused a diplomatic rift between Madrid and Algiers. Sanchez's July visit to Algeria seemed to indicate that rift was softening.