KABUL (Pajhwok): At least nine people have died after large groups of migrants breached the border from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, authorities said.
The deaths came as Ceuta’s government reported that between 1,500 and 2,000 migrants had entered the enclave over the past 10 days, Al Jazeera reported.
Hundreds more were believed to have crossed on Thursday, prompting regional President Jesus Vivas to declare an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency” and urge the Spanish government to deploy troops to restore control along the border.
Spain’s Interior Ministry rejected calls to declare a national emergency, saying the legal framework does not apply to migration crises.
However, the ministry said additional resources would be deployed and later announced that 60 military personnel would be sent to reinforce border security.
Video footage showed some migrants shouting “Viva España!” as they entered Ceuta, many of them reaching the enclave by sea from the Moroccan coast on inflatable devices.
According to the Associated Press, groups of migrants were seen walking around breakwaters onto local roads, while Spain’s EFE news agency reported that others crossed by land after scaling border fences.
Migrant rights activist Zakaria Zarroqui told Reuters that the latest influx resembled the May 2021 migration surge, when around 10,000 Moroccan and sub-Saharan migrants entered Ceuta within a few days.
“The situation remains out of control as we speak,” Zarroqui said, adding that migrants were continuing to gather in the Moroccan city of Fnideq in an attempt to cross into the enclave.
sa
