The migrant crisis in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta has become so bad that it borders on humanitarian catastrophe, Politico reported.
It is noted that the crisis in Ceuta has also provoked criticism of the migration strategy of the Spanish government. One such detractor was leader of Spanish far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, who described the situation in the autonomous city as an “invasion,” as well as by co-chair of the German party Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel, and the leader of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, who called on Madrid to comply with the EU Migration Pact.
Politico added that Spanish autonomous cities Ceuta and Melilla are the only EU territories with land borders with Africa, which is why these territories regularly become a source of disputes regarding the bloc’s migration policy. In 2021, at least 8,000 people entered through Ceuta from Morocco, the publication emphasized.
As Spanish media previously reported, over the past week, more than 1,500 migrants swam to Ceuta from Morocco, while others covered the distance on foot. According to other sources, about 20,000 people could have entered the autonomous city in just a week’s time. The exact number of arrivals has not yet been specified. Amid the crisis, the Spanish authorities decided to deploy the military to assist in ensuring security in the city. On July 31, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska are scheduled to visit Ceuta.
