At least 18 die as thousands of migrants reach Spain’s African enclave of Cueta – Europe live
Thousands of migrants have breached the border at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, resulting in at least 18 deaths. The incident has triggered a diplomatic conflict within the EU, with Italy threatening to suspend Spain from the Schengen Area.
Why it matters
This event highlights the ongoing strain of migration on EU border policies and the potential for political fragmentation among member states.
At least 18 people died as thousands of migrants breached the Spanish-Moroccan border in Ceuta yesterday, prompting concerns about a fresh migration crisis and questions over the implications for the European Union .
Hundreds of migrants run and cheer as they enter Spain’s enclave of Ceuta A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil force, which polices Spain’s borders, said the migrants were “massively entering from the sea” through the Tarajal breakwater, but could not provide an estimate of the numbers.
Spain’s interior minister said on Friday that it estimated some 49,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta over the past 24 hours.
More people were reported crossing into the enclave over night, with Spanish media reporting “passivity” from the Moroccan police.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in