Spain’s 48-hour response: How authorities returned thousands of illegal migrants to Morocco

Spain has sent tens of thousands of illegal migrants back to Morocco within 48 hours after an unprecedented surge of crossings into the North African enclave of Ceuta. The mass migration triggered what officials described as a humanitarian and security crisis.According to Spain’s interior ministry, around 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta on Thursday, a figure that amounted to roughly 70 per cent of the enclave’s population. By Saturday, about 48,000 had already returned to Morocco as Spanish authorities rapidly restored control of the border.Images from Ceuta showed large groups of North African migrants being escorted by Spanish soldiers towards the frontier with Morocco.While many left voluntarily or were returned by the authorities, others refused to depart, with some reportedly hiding in tunnels and abandoned areas while others wandered through the city’s streets.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain had re-established border control, provided humanitarian assistance, returned “virtually all” of the migrants…