How Morocco ‘facilitated migrant crossings’ into Spain as 60k enter in 1 day | World | News
Some 60,000 migrants crossed from Morrocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in one day (Image: Getty)
Morocco may have helped facilitate a surge of around 60,000 migrants from the country into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to intelligence experts. At least 57 migrants died in the journey via land or sea to the tiny Spanish territory in North Africa on Thursday.
Visiting Ceuta on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the border breach as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity”. The socialist PM blamed human smugglers for the crisis, saying they “deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths”. Some migrants said they had seen viral social media posts about a recent Spanish loophole allowing them to cross the border via sea without facing immediate expulsion.
The border crisis has been condemned by the Madrid government (Image: Getty)
Others recalled seeing posts that would allow them to claim asylum and stay in Spain.
Western intelligence sources suspect Morocco could have facilitated the breach as a way of getting back at Spain amid diplomatic frustrations, according to The Telegraph. Moroccan officials are said to be disappointed over Madrid’s gas deal talks with rival Algeria.
Videos shared online show a member of Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie standing by as dozens of young men disembark from a truck near the border, while other clips also show police officers waving through lorries carrying scores of people, The Telegraph reports.
In local media, Spanish guards claimed their Moroccan counterparts “stood idly by” and were “totally inactive” as the border breach happened.
Migrants from Morocco crossed into Ceuta from both land and sea (Image: Getty)
The chaos saw Italy and France pledge to tighten their border controls on people arriving from Spain.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni warned of a European security crisis as Rome temporarily suspended its open-border Schengen agreement with Spain.
Shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam told the Express that the crisis must act as a “wake up call” for the UK and lead to the country leaving the ECHR. Spain deployed its armed forces and additional police to restore order in Ceuta.
The territory, which sits on the Strait of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Spanish officials say nearly all of the migrants who crossed into Ceuta during the surge have now returned to Morocco.
Some of the 57 who died, while some were also killed in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal Beach, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco. Many young Moroccans said they made the crossing to pursue better work opportunities but were returning due to the chaotic scenes.
Moroccan police used water cannons and fired warning shots into the air to prevent migrants from crossing into Ceuta, rights groups in the country said.
Morocco’s ambassador to Spain said the situation in Ceuta had unfolded against Morocco’s wishes.
Authorities in Ceuta and Madrid linked the border surge to a recent decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, which ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence.
Mr Sánchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling, claiming it had “spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations”.
Earlier this year, his government announced an amnesty drive to undocumented migrants.
It granted a one-year renewable residence permit to those who have no criminal record and have lived in Spain for at least five months before the end of 2025.
European Union ambassadors have agreed to meet on Monday
