where is ceuta?
Ceuta is a small Spanish city located on North Africa’s coast, bordering both the Mediterranean Sea and Morocco. Ceuta has belonged to Spain since the 16th century and is one of few African territories the nation still possesses, also including Melilla, another coastal city that borders Morocco. Both Ceuta and Melilla are frequent destinations for African migrants who hope to use the cities as entry points to Europe.
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Why Did Migrants Surge Into Ceuta On Thursday?
The reason behind Thursday’s sudden surge is unclear, but on Wednesday, an influx of migrants had attempted to cross the Spanish border by swimming, the Associated Press reported. Opposition party politicians in Spain and Europe pointed to Sánchez’s pro-immigration stances as the reason for the surge, referencing a policy his government implemented earlier this year that would give about half a million undocumented immigrants legal status in Spain.
Videos Of Moroccan Migrants Go Viral On X
Videos of large numbers of migrants appearing to cross the Spanish border into Ceuta went widely viral on social media Thursday, frequently circulated by right-wing commentators who are critical of immigration. Billionaire Elon Musk said on Thursday afternoon the migration surge is “absolutely an invasion,” and he reposted a tweet from commentator and Canadian marketing professor Gad Saad that accused Western politicians of being “treasonous” with “castrated, weak, lobotomized ideologues.” A video posted to X by Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s far-right Vox party, also called the influx of migrants an “invasion” and accused “Sánchez’s corrupt government” of “desperately calling in more hitmen to stay in power.” Abascal’s video garnered more than 2.2 million views as of Thursday afternoon. Abascal posted another video Thursday morning, garnering 2.6 million views, accusing Sánchez of being a “traitor, a corrupt man, and an indecent person,” calling for his ouster.
key background
In May 2021, Ceuta experienced a similar, sudden influx when more than 8,000 migrants poured into the territory—which has a population of about 85,000—over just two days. Sánchez called the surge a “serious crisis for Spain and for Europe,” and the government deployed troops to control the border, after which many migrants were returned to Morocco. Vivas, at the time, said local officials were “not even in a position to calculate the number of people who have entered,” saying the “mood among Ceuta’s population is now one of anguish, uncertainty, unease and fear.” The 2021 surge occurred amid strained relations between Spain and Morocco after Moroccan officials reacted with outrage after Brahim Ghali, leader of a separatist movement fighting for Western Sahara’s independence, was treated for COVID-19 under an alias in Spain.
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further reading
‘Absolute chaos’ as thousands of people breach Morocco’s border with Spain’s Ceuta (Associated Press)
More than 6,000 migrants reach Spain’s north African enclave Ceuta (The Guardian)