Spain says around 49,000 migrants crossed in one day
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- Spain, Morocco halt mass migrant surge into Ceuta.
- At least 19 people died during crossings.
- Spain moves to deport irregular entrants.
- Italy threatens Schengen action over Spain policy.
Security forces from Spain and Morocco reinforced border fences surrounding the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Friday, stemming a mass influx after nearly 50,000 migrants arrived by land and sea within 24 hours, leaving at least 19 dead in coastal waters.
Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon trucks and riot police at the gates into Ceuta to push back crowds following clashes that left a bus and seven cars burned near the border zone.
Government response
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska arranged an emergency visit to Ceuta on Friday to assess what officials described as the country's severe border crisis since at least 2021.
Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres indicated that a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court -which restricted summary "border rejections" for migrants intercepted at sea- may have contributed to the sudden surge.
Torres stated that while Spain will respect court rulings and human rights, the government intends to proceed with returning those who entered illegally.
Meanwhile, police associations like the AUGC pointed out that severe understaffing along the perimeter on Thursday prevented officers from containing the initial rush, while local humanitarian organizations warned that municipal resources in Ceuta were completely overwhelmed.
European friction over migration
The scale of the crossing triggered sharp divisions within the European Union, igniting a diplomatic clash between Madrid and Rome:
- Italy's warnings: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated Italy was prepared to take extraordinary measures to protect its borders, including suspending the Schengen border-free agreement with Spain.
- Amnesty criticism: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized Madrid's decision to grant citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants over the past year, arguing it incentivized human trafficking.
- Spanish rebuttal: Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected Tajani's remarks as "inappropriate" demagoguery and announced plans to summon the Italian ambassador in protest.
