Pedro Sánchez described the migration crisis in Ceuta as an "attack on Spain's territorial integrity"

The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, spoke about the migration crisis in Ceuta and denounced it as a "violation and an attack on Spain's territorial integrity." The leader held the human trafficking mafias responsible for taking advantage of a recent ruling by the Supreme Court and announced new measures to strengthen border control. "What has happened is a territorial violation of Spain, of the borders, and in talks with the Moroccan authorities," Sánchez stated during a press conference from Ceuta. The wave of migration occurred just days after the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be returned automatically. The head of the Executive linked this ruling to the increase in irregular crossings. "Spain stands with the city of Ceuta," the PSOE leader asserted, adding: "We are taking responsibility for the emotional state, for the anguish that they are experiencing during these last hours." Spain is coordinating repatriations with Morocco. In this tumultuous scenario, the head of state also thanked the Moroccan government for its cooperation in expediting the return of those who entered irregularly. "The priority is to restore normalcy and ensure security and coexistence. Morocco is willing to cooperate for the repatriation of citizens to their countries of origin," he noted. The images recall the migration crisis of May 2021, when more than 8,000 people entered the enclave in just 48 hours. As part of the operation, the government will install buoys at the Tarajal pier, one of the main entry points to the enclave, with the aim of creating a containment barrier. **"In these last days, following the ruling, there has been a spike in the arrival of immigrants in Ceuta. The Ministry of the Interior had already set up a reception center for immigrants to facilitate the repatriation and expulsion processes," he detailed. In this context, the president also plans to tour the border pier and hold meetings with representatives of the security forces and local authorities, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Among other measures, the Spanish government has also deployed the Armed Forces to assist the Civil Guard in border control tasks, after thousands of migrants entered Ceuta and at least 27 people died during the attempt. "We want to mourn the loss of human lives. This demands a strong condemnation particularly of the mafias that traffic humans, deceiving young people who then find death," Sánchez expressed. For his part, the president of the Spanish enclave, Juan Jesús Vivas, assured that the magnitude of the migration flow has no recent precedent: "Estimates indicate that around 60,000 people have entered our city due to this episode. That means 70% of the city's population [autonomous]," he stated at a press conference. A crisis that escalated in a matter of hours. It all began on July 29 when thousands of people crossed the border during the night taking advantage of the initial weak resistance from the Moroccan security forces. Subsequently, Rabat reinforced controls with a large deployment of gendarmes at the Fnideq border, where they used water cannons to try to halt the advance. In parallel, the Moroccan police arrested about 30 young people after clashes occurred near the border crossing. In recent days, thousands of migrants have remained concentrated in the hills near Ceuta, from where they threw stones at the security forces. The forces responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse them. Images released on Thursday showed crowds, mostly Moroccans, lining the breakwater of Tarajal beach to enter Spanish territory. Among them were mainly young men, but also families with women and children. Most of those attempting to reach Ceuta depart from Fnideq, swimming about five kilometers, while others do so from the town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter. The scenes recall the migration crisis of May 2021, when more than 8,000 people entered the enclave in just two days. Spain continues to be one of the main gateways to Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or fleeing situations of violence in their home countries. Ceuta, an enclave that has remained under Spanish sovereignty since 1580, has faced strong migratory pressure for decades due to its strategic location in North Africa.

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