Thousands cross from Morocco into Spain in new migrant crisis
Thousands of migrants have crossed overnight from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, overwhelming local authorities and prompting Madrid to deploy troops to the border. A police source said on July 31 that it was impossible to give an exact total, but in recent days around 40,000 migrants have entered the territory, which has a population of about 80,000. At least 18 people have died while attempting the dangerous crossing, many drowning as they swam around the Tarajal beach breakwater or tried to breach coastal barriers. The sudden mass influx has triggered what security forces describe as “absolute chaos,” with men, women and children arriving by land and sea, discarding flotation rings and clothes as they stream into Ceuta. Local authorities have declared an emergency, warning that reception facilities are overwhelmed and that thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied […]
