Ceuta, the Spanish city on the border with Morocco, has been engulfed by the worst migrant crisis ever recorded there, after around 60,000 Moroccan migrants crossed the border within 24 hours.
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Attempts to enter the Spanish enclave have left at least 57 people dead. Regional President Juan Jesus Vivas said the city was unable to cope with such an influx, while migrant reception facilities had exceeded capacity.
According to Spanish authorities, more than 50,000 migrants were sent back to Morocco on Friday alone. Around 150 people were reportedly crossing back into their country every minute. To strengthen controls, Spain deployed armed forces in Ceuta and Melilla, its sister city, where numerous border crossings were also recorded.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that all illegal migrants would be sent back. Describing the situation as an “attack,” he said that “Moroccan migrants will be sent back as quickly as possible.”
Sanchez attributed the sudden influx to trafficking networks, which he said had spread false information by misrepresenting a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court.
The court ruling stipulated that immediate returns could not be applied to migrants who enter illegally by sea. On Friday, Prime Minister Sanchez visited Ceuta to assess the migrant situation firsthand and warned that the border with Morocco would be reinforced.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their readiness to help Spain. Meanwhile, White House chief Donald Trump said a similar situation could occur in the United States of America if the Democrats take power.
Trump described the migrant crisis in Spain as horrific. Commenting to FoxNews on footage of migrants flooding the city of Ceuta, the US president said: “Do not forget those images. That will be us in three years if the wrong side comes to power. If the Democrats win, you will not have a good life.”
