Hundreds of young migrants climbed over the border fence into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa after Moroccan auxiliary forces withdrew, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
Video footage shows some of them shouting “Viva España” as they entered the territory.
The mass crossing comes after at least 1,500 migrants reached Ceuta by swimming in the past week, local authorities said. Arrivals are currently averaging around 300 people per day.
Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, has urged the Spanish government to declare a state of emergency. He described the situation as an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency,” noting that facilities for unaccompanied minors are operating at 2,400% of capacity, with hundreds of people sleeping outdoors.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is due to visit Ceuta tomorrow. The government said several ministries are coordinating to strengthen border controls and provide humanitarian aid.
Vivas warned that if the current rate continues, Ceuta could face a crisis similar to May 2021, when 10,000 people entered the enclave in just a few days. He also noted that 60 bodies have been recovered from the sea in recent months.