factor.am — Spain is deploying military personnel to Ceuta to restore order at the border with Morocco, as thousands of migrants have crossed into the small Spanish territory. Authorities appealed to Madrid for additional forces after the surge of people attempting to scale the border fence led to a total loss of control on Thursday.
The government has confirmed that the armed forces will assist the Civil Guard in maintaining security in the city. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of the Interior are planning to visit the area to assess the situation firsthand. A representative of the border control association noted that the situation is chaotic and uncontrollable. Unfortunately, at least nine deaths were recorded during Thursday’s events, although the circumstances of the deaths are still being clarified.
The influx of migrants has increased sharply this week as people began reaching the Spanish exclave mainly by swimming. Despite the lack of an official response from Morocco, the Spanish Interior Ministry asserts that they are cooperating with Morocco and attempting to return all those who entered illegally. At the same time, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has threatened to suspend the Schengen Agreement as an extreme security measure.
Juan Jesús Vivas, the head of Ceuta, continues to insist on the need to declare a state of emergency. Local migration centers have long been overcrowded, and hundreds of people are forced to sleep on the streets. This crisis recalls the events of 2021, when thousands of people crossed the border in a very short period. According to data for the current year, approximately 3,000 people had entered Ceuta by mid-July. Spain, which has controlled the territory since 1580, is attempting to maintain a balance between security and humanitarian concerns.
