On Monday, authorities in Ceuta, a city under Spanish control, announced that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants are still present within its borders after more than 69,000 individuals were returned to Morocco. The Spanish government has denied receiving any prior intelligence warnings regarding the recent surge in irregular crossings taking place over the past few days.
In an interview with the Spanish television channel Telecinco, Ceuta's Governor Juan Jesús Vivas revealed that the current number of migrants in the city ranges from 3,000 to 5,000. He noted that the situation has yet to return to normal, as thousands of migrants continue to exert pressure on the city's reception facilities.
Overcrowding Exceeds Capacity
Alberto Gaitán, the presidential advisor in Ceuta, stated that the city is currently hosting 862 unaccompanied minor migrants, which exceeds normal capacity by an astounding 2,872%. Gaitán, in an interview with Cadena SER Spanish radio, explained that the central government has set the normal capacity for the city at just 29 minors. In response to the crisis, local authorities are working on reorganizing reception facilities and preparing two additional centers to accommodate the minors currently in the city.
Spanish immigration law mandates that unaccompanied foreign minors be placed under the care of public authorities responsible for child protection. In January 2024, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that the repatriation of minors from Ceuta to Morocco in August 2021 was illegal, citing the necessity of gathering information on the circumstances of each minor and the requirement for intervention by the public prosecutor.
The escalating crisis, marked by attempts from tens of thousands of migrants to reach Ceuta last Thursday, has reignited calls within the European Union to close the Schengen area to Spain and has thrust the issue of migration and irregular migrants back into the spotlight.
Madrid Denies Intelligence Warning Claims
In a related development, the government in Madrid rejected claims on Monday that it had ignored warnings from the Spanish Central Intelligence Agency regarding the mass arrival of migrants to Ceuta. The government has denied receiving any intelligence reports forewarning of a migration crisis of this magnitude.
Opposition spokesperson Miguel Tiéado from the conservative People's Party expressed skepticism, stating it is hard to believe that the Spanish Central Intelligence Agency was unaware of such a "human wave" before it occurred. Spanish government spokesperson Elma Saiz emphasized that nobody anticipated such an unprecedented event.
Last Sunday, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior announced that approximately 40,000 individuals had attempted to reach Ceuta in irregular crossings, a situation that tragically resulted in the deaths of 11 people. The Moroccan authorities continue to verify the reports regarding the deaths and the actual number of individuals involved, their identities, and nationalities through cooperative channels with their Spanish counterparts.
Reports indicate that the number of bodies recovered from the waters off Ceuta has risen to 88. On Saturday, Spanish security sources stated that around 69,500 migrants had returned to Morocco after entering Ceuta in recent days. To counter irregular crossings from the Moroccan side, Spanish authorities have installed a floating security barrier stretching 500 meters at the Tarajal border crossing.
In recent days, tens of thousands of Moroccans have gathered around the border fence with Ceuta in an attempt to reach the city and subsequently move on to Europe through irregular means. Ceuta, located on Morocco's northern coast, is administered by Spain, while Rabat continues to assert its claim for its return.
As reported by aljazeera.net.
