The head of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta said Friday that the number of migrants who have entered has exceeded 60,000, with tens of thousands more in the neighboring enclave of Melilla. He claimed that Moroccan soldiers are actively assisting the infiltrators and warned that the total could reach 100,000 by evening, adding that 'Europe's story is over.'
The governor of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta sharply escalated his warnings Friday afternoon, claiming that Moroccan soldiers are actively assisting the mass migrant influx and that the total number of entrants could reach 100,000 by evening. He accused Rabat of orchestrating the surge and declared that "Europe's story is over." The claim marks a significant escalation from his earlier estimate of 60,000, which The Zioneer reported on Thursday night.
The Zioneer's coverage has tracked the rapid deterioration. On Thursday night, we reported that the Guardia Civil estimated up to 40,000 migrants had crossed into Ceuta, followed by a senior Spanish official's estimate of tens of thousands. By Friday morning, Spain's Interior Ministry formally estimated that 49,000 migrants had entered the enclave in a 24-hour period. As the influx continued, reports indicated the population surged by over 60% as the number reached 50,000. The Zioneer also reported that Spanish police and soldiers on the ground were not intervening, and that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived in Ceuta on Friday, calling the migrant surge an attack on national sovereignty.
As The Zioneer has reported, Ceuta is a unique geopolitical flashpoint where European Union territory meets North Africa. Morocco has historically used migration flows as diplomatic leverage, and a recent court ruling in Spain has blocked the immediate repatriation of migrants arriving by sea, complicating the response. The current crisis comes after a period of heightened tension, with reception centers operating at thousands of percent over capacity.
The governor's allegation of Moroccan military involvement remains unverified. The exact number of migrants on the ground is also unconfirmed, with estimates continuing to rise. The Spanish government's measures to restore control are still unfolding.
9 developments
- DevelopingCeuta migrants seek places to sleep without property owners' consent, reports say
- DevelopingAbu Ali Express: Spanish police, soldiers not intervening in Ceuta as migrants mock authorities
- StrongSpanish residents curse PM Sánchez, blame him for Ceuta migrant crisis
- DevelopingMoroccan source tells ynet: Many in Morocco say Ceuta is under Spanish occupation
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