'Absolute chaos' as thousands of Moroccan migrants breach Spain's Ceuta border
Thousands of migrants have breached the border fence into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, leading the Spanish government to deploy the Armed Forces. The situation remains chaotic as authorities struggle to manage the influx of people.
Why it matters
The border crisis highlights the ongoing challenges of migration management and geopolitical tensions between Spain and Morocco.
The announcement comes after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that had been building up before boiling over on Thursday with large crowds of people breaching the border fence.
In a statement Thursday evening, Spain's government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard "to maintain security in the city of Ceuta."
"The situation is absolute chaos," said Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain's Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, who police the border.
"It's not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing," he said, adding that the border had "totally collapsed."
Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as "exceptional."
"The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed," he said.
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