Spain deploys troops as migrants storm Ceuta

Thousands cross from Morocco into Spanish enclave

SPAIN/ CEUTA:

Spain will deploy military units to reinforce police in the North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants broke through the border from Morocco on Thursday, overwhelming security forces and prompting authorities to step up emergency measures.

Following an appeal by the Ceuta regional government for military support, the Interior Ministry said three platoons of 20 soldiers each, a diving unit and a military vessel would be deployed by Friday, while special police intervention units would be reinforced to a total of 200 personnel.

Earlier, video footage showed hundreds of migrants swimming into the Spanish enclave using inflatable inner tubes and other flotation devices, while others forced their way through a gate in the border fence before running into the city. State broadcaster TVE estimated that 2,000-3,000 people had crossed.

The mass crossing recalled a similar crisis in 2021, when around 10,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa entered Ceuta within days. The Interior Ministry said it was working closely with Moroccan authorities to contain the surge.

It also pledged to deport all migrants who entered illegally, accusing people-smuggling networks of exploiting a recent Supreme Court ruling to encourage irregular migration. A Guardia Civil spokesperson said attempted crossings had increased after the ruling before surging dramatically on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be summarily returned under the enclaves' special border-rejection regime. The regional government of Ceuta urged Madrid to declare a state of emergency as the arrivals continued.

Spain's Socialist government has adopted one of Europe's more migrant-friendly policies and recently launched a programme to regularise the status of around 500,000 undocumented migrants, drawing criticism from opposition parties that argued the move would encourage further arrivals.