Spain sends extra troops to Ceuta after thousands of people swim into territory
Spain is deploying additional military and police forces to the North African enclave of Ceuta following a massive influx of thousands of migrants from Morocco. Local officials have described the situation as chaotic and are calling for a national emergency.
Why it matters
This event highlights ongoing tensions regarding migration routes into the European Union and the strain on border infrastructure.
The Spanish government is deploying extra troops and police officers to its north African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of people swam and waded into the tiny territory from neighbouring Morocco in a matter of hours.
Videos shot at Tarajal beach on Thursday showed crowds of people walking around the breakwaters and running on the beach and roads.
Most appeared to be young men, but there were also families with women and children. “Viva España!” some shouted to a freelance photographer working for the Associated Press, who was filming the scene.
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.
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