Thousands of migrants remain in Ceuta following a mass border crossing
In the Spanish city of Ceuta in North Africa, thousands of migrants—including unaccompanied minors—remain following a mass border crossing from Morocco on July 30. According to NPR World, more than 140 people died during this crossing. The Spanish government reported that during the week beginning July 27, more than 70,000 migrants crossed the border into Ceuta.
The Spanish government states that most people have already voluntarily returned to Morocco. At the same time, journalist Barbara Ayuso, who was working in Ceuta for El País, estimated the number of those who remained at at least 8,000 people. According to her, about 2,000 people were on El Trampolín Beach, and local residents counted more than 4,000 minors. Spanish authorities reported that medical assistance was provided to nearly 6,000 people.
According to Ayuso, the migrants on El Trampolín Beach were exposed to high temperatures without protection from the sun or access to running water. As of August 10, police were investigating seven reports of sexual assault. Residents of Ceuta took to the streets in protest, deeming the response from Spain’s central government insufficient.
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On August 15, Moroccan security forces quelled what appeared to be a new mass attempt to cross into Ceuta. José Bautista, a researcher at the organization porCausa, believes that Morocco is using the migration crises in Ceuta, Melilla, or the Canary Islands as leverage in negotiations with Spain. This is the researcher’s assessment, not an officially established cause of the events.
Journalist Ignacio Sembrero suggested that Moroccan authorities may have allowed the crossing on July 30 in response to the publication of an investigation into the alleged use of the Pegasus program by Moroccan intelligence services. Riccardo Fabiani, North Africa Project Director at the International Crisis Group, emphasized that it is impossible to definitively attribute responsibility for the mass crossing to any specific country.
