RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Spain\u0027s Ministry of the Interior said more than 25,000 migrants who arrived at the border of the\u00a0tiny territory of Ceuta\u00a0have been sent back to Morocco. More than 150 migrants are being removed from Ceuta per minute, the ministry said.\u00a0The statement came shortly after the president of Ceuta, Juan Jes\u00fas Vivas, estimated that 60,000 migrants had entered the enclave and said that at least 34 people had died, including some who drowned while swimming to reach the territory.\u00a0Most who tried to cross the border are Moroccans. Seawalls and fences separate Morocco from Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves that sit on Morocco\u0027s northern coast. They are the only land borders the European Union shares with Africa.\u00a0Local officials have blamed the sharp increase in crossings on a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling, which makes it harder to turn away migrants arriving from Morocco by sea. Vivas called the ongoing situation "absolutely unsustainable." He also criticized the government\u0027s response, saying that "action was taken too late and insufficiently."\u00a0Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said in a Friday news conference that "all of Spain stands" with Ceuta, and called the increase in migrants "an attack" and "a violation of Spain\u0027s territorial integrity." He is expected to visit the city Friday.\u00a0"Ceuta is a Spanish city, and what happened yesterday deserves our full reproach, our condemnation at the strongest possible level of rejection, condemnation and consideration as deplorable," he said.S\u00e1nchez said that he has asked buoys be deployed to create a "physical barrier," and said troop numbers have been increased. Spain\u0027s government has also deployed its army and sent extra forces, including diver teams and Maritime Service vessels, to Ceuta.\u00a0S\u00e1nchez said the legislature is finalizing a system to "facilitate the repatriation of migrants who entered our country irregularly." He said if necessary, the government may "modify certain aspects of the laws to guarantee those border repatriations as efficiently as possible." He added that Morocco\u0027s government is cooperating with Spain\u0027s.\u00a0S\u00e1nchez accused "human trafficking mafias" of exploiting the Spanish Supreme Court\u0027s ruling.\u00a0"This demands one of the strongest condemnations, particularly of the human trafficking mafias that deceive many young people, many of whom find death, whether in the ocean or at this border," S\u00e1nchez said.\u00a0Why are Moroccans fleeing to Ceuta?\u00a0While S\u00e1nchez and others have linked the border crossings to the Supreme Court ruling, it was not immediately clear if that was what prompted so many people to enter Ceuta.Ceuta and Melilla are seen as a destination for those trying to reach Spain from Africa. Both cities are heavily fortified, and many migrants who arrive in the enclaves are immediately turned back. Others are held in migrant shelters until they are processed, at which point they can apply for asylum in Spain.\u00a0Spain is generally a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries. Migrant arrivals to Ceuta and Melilla are generally much lower than in other Spanish areas, like the Canary and Balearic Islands.\u00a0Videos and images from Ceuta showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco onto local roads. The majority looked to be young men, though there were also families with women and children.Morocco does not officially recognize Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory, and often refers to them as occupied lands.In Ceuta, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers live in relative harmony. The city is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims.\u00a0This is not the first time Ceuta has seen a rise in Moroccan migrants. In 2021, Moroccan authorities relaxed border enforcement amid a diplomatic dispute with Spain, allowing 6,000 migrants to\u00a0enter Ceuta in a single day.\u00a0European Union reacts\u00a0Crossing the border from Morocco into Ceuta and Melilla does not immediately grant migrants free movement across Europe.\u00a0To get across the channel that separates northern Africa and mainland Europe, migrants would have to pass additional border controls. Ceuta\u0027s isolation from mainland Europe, with limited transportation to the rest of the EU, also makes such travel unlikely.\u00a0Still, the crossings have drawn scrutiny from conservative leaders across Europe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on the European Union to suspend the Schengen agreement, which allows freedom of movement within member states.Meloni\u00a0said\u00a0her nation was prepared to "intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and safety of citizens." Finland\u0027s minister of the interior, Mari Rantanen,\u00a0said\u00a0"all European countries must support Meloni\u0027s proposal."\u00a0French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez\u00a0said\u00a0that he had given instructions to "immediately strengthen" controls at the border the nation shares with Spain.\u00a0
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