Why is Ceuta a migration flashpoint and how were so many people able to cross from Morocco?
A humanitarian crisis has emerged in the Spanish territory of Ceuta after approximately 50,000 people crossed the border from Morocco. The event highlights the ongoing challenges of migration management at the EU's only land borders with Africa.
Why it matters
The mass migration event underscores the geopolitical friction between Spain and Morocco and the broader European challenge of managing migration flows.
People cross from Morocco into Ceuta on Thursday. People cross from Morocco into Ceuta on Thursday. Migration Explainer Why is Ceuta a migration flashpoint and how were so many people able to cross from Morocco? An estimated 50,000 people attempted the journey to the Spanish territory in chaotic and dangerous scenes that resulted in dozens of deaths
Prefer the Guardian on Google What has happened and where? Border controls between Morocco and the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta appeared to break down in recent days, allowing an estimated 50,000 people to cross on to the Spanish side in chaotic and dangerous scenes that resulted in dozens of deaths.
The number of arrivals was more than two-thirds the size of the ordinary population in Ceuta, where a humanitarian crisis was playing out on Friday.
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