Nearly 70,000 migrants return to Morocco from Ceuta after border crisis
Almost 70,000 undocumented migrants have returned to Morocco from Spain's Ceuta enclave after a bilateral agreement. The city is still not back to normal, while hundreds also tried to enter Melilla.
Ceuta is getting some respite after nearly 70,000 undocumented migrants who had entered from Morocco returned over the past two days, according to EFE.
The mass return started after Spain and Morocco agreed on a simplified procedure for sending migrants back, and as humanitarian conditions in the enclave deteriorated. Ceuta, home to about 85,000 people, lacks enough open shops, shopping centers and food outlets where the migrants could meet their most basic needs, EFE noted. Spanish authorities have also begun installing additional sea barriers to make illegal entry harder.
The crisis began in mid-July, when migrants started swimming across the sea border. Initial numbers were in the hundreds per day, but later grew to thousands. On Thursday, July 30, about 50,000 people crossed illegally, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. On Saturday, the Spanish government said the death toll had risen to 67, including victims of drowning and of the crush.
The trigger for the influx is believed to be a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court. The court said the simplified return procedure can be applied only to migrants who enter Spanish territory by breaching border barriers; swimming across the sea does not count as breaching such a barrier.
Security in Ceuta remains fragile. City president Juan Jesús Vivas said daily life has been disrupted because of the border incident. He added that returns have started satisfactorily, but the process needs to be completed, and the city has not yet returned to its normal rhythm.
Hundreds of migrants have also tried to enter Melilla in recent days, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE. Around 500 people attempted to cross from Morocco, followed by another attempt about two hours later. Several migrants threw stones at security officers, who responded with tear gas. It was unclear whether any of them managed to get into Melilla. The Beni Enzar border crossing between Melilla and Morocco has been closed since Thursday evening.
