Tens of thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory returned voluntarily to Morocco on Friday, a day after the influx triggered chaos in the North African city and reignited the immigration debate in Europe and beyond.
At least 57 migrants died on the journey.
Ceuta’s president put the number of migrants at 60,000, which was equivalent to 70% of the territory’s population. But most of them soon went back, the Spanish government said, after the sudden arrival of so many people sparked a humanitarian crisis.
Some migrants swam several miles through the sea and faced down authorities who tried to turn them back with water cannons, tear gas and warning shots. Those who died included some who drowned or were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.
Spain deployed its armed forces and additional police to restore order in Ceuta, which sits on the Strait of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea and has been a Spanish possession since 1580. On the Moroccan side of the border, security forces clashed with migrants. The chaos also had ripple effects abroad, with Italy and France pledging to tighten their controls on people arriving from Spain.
“The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable,” Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas told journalists.
Meanwhile, migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain’s other territory at the tip of North Africa, where they clashed with police.
Spanish prime minister condemns border breach
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta on Friday and condemned the border breach, which he described as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.”
Sánchez blamed human smugglers for the crisis, saying they “deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths,” whether in the ocean or in the city.
The Spanish Interior Ministry released its own figures shortly after Vivas spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco since Thursday. It added that 48,300 had already returned to Morocco by Friday evening, with hundreds more going back by the hour.
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis,” saying thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, while others roamed the streets aimlessly.
“It’s chaotic,” Sbihi said.
The Moroccan Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the migrant figures released by the Spanish authorities.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the images from Ceuta were “unacceptable.”
“We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules,” she said Friday in an online statement. “Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.”
People died in border chaos
Some of the 57 people who died had drowned, Sbihi said, but some were also killed in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal Beach, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco. The waters near the border fence were littered with buoys, shoes and other abandoned belongings.
Many young Moroccans who crossed into Ceuta told The Associated Press that they had hoped to find better work opportunities in Spain but were returning given the mayhem in Ceuta.
“There’s nothing at home. I’d have to work 12-hour shifts for a meager wage. That’s why I came here,” said 21-year-old Abdulah Buji, who hails from the city of Tetouan. “But I haven’t found any opportunities here either, so I have to go back.”
Moroccan police used water cannons and fired warning shots into the air to prevent migrants from crossing into Ceuta, according to rights groups in Morocco.
Morocco’s ambassador to Spain said the situation in Ceuta had unfolded against Morocco’s wishes.
“We have always prioritized legal, orderly and safe migration for all,” Karima Benyaich said. She did not comment on what prompted the migrants to cross into Ceuta.
To reach Ceuta, on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.
Authorities in Ceuta and Madrid have linked the border surge to a recent decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, which ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence.
Sánchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling.
The interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling “spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organizations,” triggering the surge, Sánchez said.
Spain has bucked anti-immigration trend
Sánchez has bucked the anti-migration trend that has gained ground across Europe and in the U.S.
Earlier this year, his government moved to give residency and work permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants already living in the country without permission.
Sánchez, a Socialist, argued that it would be good for the economy and the demographics of an aging Spain. Migrants who entered irregularly after Jan. 1 this year were not included.
His critics jumped at the opportunity to attack his policy, saying it encouraged more migrants to come.
“Sánchez allows Spain to be invaded through Ceuta,” Spanish conservative politician Isabel Díaz Ayuso wrote on X.
The U.S. expressed its support for “the people of Spain, and all Europeans, against this egregious violation of their sovereignty and human rights.”
In a post on X, the State Department added that “this unacceptable incident is the direct result of the Spanish Government’s deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe.”
Sánchez on Friday defended his migration policy and distanced it from the events in Ceuta.
In the tumult, Italy temporarily suspended its open-border Schengen agreement with Spain, reimposing border controls for air and sea. The Interior Ministry said the decision amounted to a “closure” of the borders, but experts said it was merely a resumption of border controls. The agreement allows travelers to fly between the two countries without presenting passports.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would also strengthen border checks with Spain.
The crisis in Ceuta “has nothing to do with the regularization of migrants adopted by the Government of Spain, as is being falsely claimed by some,” the Spanish government said in a statement late Thursday after Meloni’s announcement.
Pressure grows on second Spanish territory in Africa
Migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, the other Spanish territory at the tip of North Africa.
There was widespread chaos in Bni Nsar, the Moroccan town bordering the Spanish territory, where migrants clashed with police, throwing rocks and setting police vehicles ablaze, according to local media and rights groups. They reported injuries among security forces and the arrest of dozens of people attempting to cross.
Like Ceuta, Melilla is a self-governing Spanish city. Many Moroccans consider both cities to be occupied territory.
Naishadham reported from Madrid. Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain; Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco; and Antonio Sempere in Ceuta, Spain, contributed.
The M2 machine gun can fix that problem
Apparently they tried to break into apartments once they swarmed their new homeland, and were met with fierce resistance.
Lemmings.
Long or short journey, still a bold one.
Winston. Its not that much of a bold journey. They swam over from the neighbouring beach after being spurred on by reports on sociam media that they won’t face a pushback. Almost all have gone back because Ceuta is not part of Shengen.
60,000 people, apparently mostly young men, all at once landing ashore is astonishing. One would assume that Morocco must be unlivable to make this bold, journey. Since that is not entirely the case, this seems rash and unsettling.
The EU has its own issues, it’s not the land of milk and honey, it’s difficult to live there, even it’s own people, it’s difficult
It’s economy is the sh*ts
Yes Paul most went back voluntarily. Most had their asylum claims denied, and since Ceuta is not part of Schengen they knew they had nowhere to go but back. They were lured there by social media hype created by outside influences.
@Morgan, Blaming Trump for Moroccans invading a Spanish land is a stretch, don’t you think? It’s very speculative and I just can’t quite follow it. It seems 60,000 people organized this “out-number and overflow” invasion on their own.
And Glow Bull News’s title is misleading. It reads like the military was responsible for “innocent people’s” deaths, but what really happened was the drowned and trampled each other like animals.
Only 50,000? Canada allowed 400,000 last year and gave them food and housing.
Who would go back? Government and media just twisting the truth again.
Morocco is a kingdom, a month ago trump promised to get fertlizer to the farmers from Morocco, and going to take the tariffs off. In return the kingdom rename a highway after trump. And let their people cross to spanish territory. Why? Trump revenge against Spain. If you read the news indepth you will understand it. It is trump agenda and Morocco uses this method as Iran uses the harmful straight. Morocco done it in 2021.
10:49 is a liar. From the AP, “Many of those crossing the border from Morocco have been young, mainly men, although there are also women and children in the crowds and even babies.”
@ Reading comprehension I watched several videos about this event and in all of them I saw no women ir children inly young men.
Why don’t they just shoot them?
Anna is a clown. There were also women and children. These are economic migrants, so Anna’s comment about “terrible government and dreadful country” makes even less sense. Also, they mostly all left voluntarily back to Morocco. These are all things in the article, some in the headline.
Tens of thousands of young men.. that’s a lot of people. Instead of risking their lives taking this bold chance why not try to do something back home to make changes to their terrible government and dreadful country?
To the previous comment. No where similar to Merkel. Ceuta is not even part of Schengen, contrary to what a previous commentator said as well. Most of the refugees are sent back from Cueta because its isolated and not part of territorial Europe.
Apparently, the western nations have learned absolutely nothing from Merkel’s disastrous immigration policy
It’s funny how some commenters call these refugees invaders, when their ancestors did the same thing. Good for me, not thee.
Hey Ali. Hail Musk didn’t mention borders in their comment.
Again, you should read what people are writing instead of jumping to conclusions.
Ali, who mentioned anything about claim? Instead of making assumptions about people you are replying to, maybe look at a map. Its simply logical. A tiny enclave surrounded on all sides cannot be protected regardless of how many years go.
The Brits left India after 2 centuries. And Spain, France, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy all left Africa. Cueta serves no purpose. Time to pack up and leave
Sorry Anonymous but Ceuta has been Spanish since the 1590’s. You don’t get to make your deranged claims to suit your narrative. Its part of the EU zone… even of its geographically Africa. You get zero sympathy from me regarding your attempt to assert some kind of ancestral claim
To the anti Musk “contributor”. Please explain how controlled borders is racist. I want to laugh at your explanation
The moorish invasion of Spain begins anew. Italy’s response was telling. Will spain get kicked from NATO and the EU? Kinda looking very unpopular
They should do away with the fences and walls. Just paint a line in the dirt and end anyone who crosses it. Stops the problem from coming back in the future to a weaker liberal government with open border policies.
What’s the big deal 60,000 Migrants ?
As reported by Global news last week
Canada expected to receive 300,000 Haitian migrants when the US revokes thier US residency applications. That’s what needs a crackdown before it happens.
Elon Musk is doing a great job stirring up the hate. Recent article on Musk:
“Stop treating Elon Musk’s racist meltdowns like they’re normal.”
Where’s Adolpho when needed
Where’s Adolpho when needed
Use bullets
War is Coming
Civilizational Erasure
Civil war coming soon, I can smell it in the air
Love how socialists always complain after the fact. Yore bed, you sleep in it.
Everyone throughout history says it.
And he said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.
A direct quote taken from
An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Brotherhood in North America
by Mohamed Akram
“The process of settlement is a “Civilization-Jihadist Proecess” with all the word means. The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and “sabotaging” its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.“
These comments remind me of all the fear mongering done in north America against southern Europeans, as well as the anti catholic fears from not too long ago.
Send them BACK.
they need to use live ammo . send back in body bags send a message
invasion from a third world s**t hole .Canada should learn from this with is east Indians
Ali
“Why is the press sympathetic to this moorish invasion of Europe?”
Its not Europe. Cueta is on the African continent. That tiny village surrounded by fences does not belong there.
Yes there always is a military presence in Cueta because this has been a long term issue. It has no strategic value. Time for Spain to finish its departure from the Maghreb, several decades after it started it
Military response leaves 34 dead? They trampled each other going through the fence hours before the military even showed up. Why is the press sympathetic to this moorish invasion of Europe?
Not migrants. Invaders.
The manifestos appear to be the Akram Memorandum, and there was a second one.
“The memo discussed a grand strategy of “civilization-jihad,” describing the work of Islamic organizations in North America as a “grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within.”
I found it immediately on the FBI website and a host of others. The Holy Land Foundation Trials regarding a U.S-based Muslim charity (Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development) that was funding Palestinian Hamas terrorists groups, and a second trial saw 108 accounts of money laundering and terrorist funding.
@Anonymous search for Muslim Brotherhood manifesto
Anonymous
“The FBI uncovered the plan in the 1990’s Holy Land trials”
Funny how an internet shows nothing of the sort.
The latest in a long line of invasions of the west by Islamists. The FBI uncovered the plan in the 1990’s Holy Land trials when they discovered the Muslim Brotherhood manifesto which clearly outlined exactly what has happened in the western nations since 2015 when Merkel opened up the floodgates to millions of migrants, mostly from Islamic countries and mostly young men of military fighting age. Invasion, infiltration and subversion of western society is the plan which is coming to fruition thanks to those in the west who are the “Useful Idiots” being fooled into supporting the Islamis agenda.
Comment below “neighbouring country”
Learn how to use a map and read history. No it is not a neighboring country. Its a tiny beach village in someone else’s country, and surrounded by fences. It has no strategic value and cannot be secured. Its been a problem for decades. Spain and France withdrew from the Maghreb decades ago. Spain chose to keep this tiny little village, and all the issues that came with it.
Coordinated invasion of a neighbouring country by Islamics, that’s what it is. The AI guard dog doesn’t like me trying to post that.
Comment below from 11:19 “Not a single woman or child among them, just military aged men.”
Wrong;
“Many of those crossing the border from Morocco have been young, mainly men, although there are also women and children in the crowds and even babies.”
What is wrong with you? It wasn’t the military response that left 34 dead. No wonder people don’t trust the media. Unbelievable
So their own liberal gov’t is to blame. Why am I not surprised?
Europe what a joke it’s become, a cesspool, civilizational erasure
Not migrants. They are criminals that invaded a neighbouring cpuntry and they should face a firing squad.
Not a single woman or child among them, just military aged men.
Obviously orchestrated 😒
Invasions are generally met with military intervention
They should be more accurate in theor aim though
Don’t worry Spain. Canada will take 30000 of them.
I have to agree – what is taking place in is a global takeover by Islamists. This comes after the coordinated social media attack on Christianity a few years ago.
I understand. Aoejdjisnzndndjnz2874628
this is an invasion of islamic terrorists. Same as in England.
This has nothing to do with the current Spanish government. Cueta has been a problem for decades. Spain can’t have a tiny beach village surrounded by a fence in the middle of another country. There is no strategic value. Just abandon it and save yourself from all this trouble.
It’s trumps fault. There’s a connection somehow, somewhere I just know it. Come on global link this to trump will ya.
Spain has an idiot prime minister
Where can I read more about this massacre of civilians by the Spanish Military:
“60K migrants enter Spain’s Ceuta as military response leaves 34 dead”
🤣🤣 You suffer what you vote for
These guys have turned Spain into an Islamic ghetto. Given the ongoing opportunities presented to them by the woketard leftist Spanish politicians, the moors are once again invading Europe.
And Spain was upset with tourists spending money…
I thought the videos were AI at first. This is absolutely disgusting.