Spain: Almost all 60,000 migrants who entered Ceuta have returned to Morocco
Spain says almost all of the 60,000 migrants who entered its North Africa enclave of Ceuta from Morocco have returned to their country.
As of Friday, Spanish authorities said at least 48,000 migrants had returned to Morocco. By Saturday, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s interior minister, said nearly all the migrants had left the enclave.
“The situation has been almost entirely reversed,” Grande-Marlaska said at a press conference.
AFP reported how it witnessed young migrants crossing back over the border to Morocco under the watch of Spanish soldiers and police on Saturday morning.
According to the news agency, those who lingered too long on the coastal path were immediately ushered back by the soldiers.
Many of the migrants had entered Ceuta by swimming around a small border barrier that extends into the Mediterranean Sea.
Grande-Marlaska said at least 67 people died while attempting the crossing, while providing updated figures.
It was unclear what triggered the mass migration, but the sudden influx sparked political concern across Europe.
Italy announced the suspension of its Schengen free-travel agreement with Spain, while France and Germany hinted at tightening border checks after the mass crossings into Ceuta.
In a letter to the heads of the European Commission and European Council, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised what he described as the “selfish” response of some EU member states.
The EU said it would convene a video meeting of interior ministers on Tuesday to coordinate a swift response and “prevent further uncontrolled crossings”.
