Hundreds of migrants attempt to swim from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta
Officials in Spain say thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the border from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in the last few days, including hundreds of youth who tried to swim their way around controls
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the border from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in the last few days, including hundreds of youth who tried to swim their way around controls, Spanish authorities said Monday.
Videos broadcast on Spanish media over the weekend showed Spanish police intercepting migrants in the water at night amid a thick fog but also in broad daylight, struggling to separate the new arrivals from crowds of beachgoers.
Cristina Pérez, the Spanish government's representative in Ceuta told journalists Monday that since Aug. 22 an average of 700 people had attempted to breach the border daily, with a peak of 1,500 attempts Sunday.
Pérez did not disclose how many had successfully reached Ceuta but Pérez explained that following Spanish law that allowed for “border rejections” authorities were sending back to Morocco between 150 and 200 people a day. She thanked Moroccan authorities for their “loyal cooperation."
Ceuta and Melilla — two tiny Spanish territories in North Africa bordering the Mediterranean — have long been targeted by migrants and refugees seeking better lives in Europe. Many attempt to climb over barbed wire fences encircling the autonomous cities or reaching the exclaves by sea.
Due to geography, Spain relies largely on Morocco's goodwill to control those borders and keep migrants out. In 2021, following a diplomatic spat between the two nations, thousands of people, including many unaccompanied Moroccan children poured into Ceuta in a matter of days overwhelming Spanish authorities.
While Spain and Morocco have since normalized their relations and have been working together to tackle irregular migration, authorities in Ceuta say they are again under pressure this year. There have been 1,622 migrant arrivals to Ceuta from January to mid-August compared with just 620 in the same period last year, according to statistics released by the Spanish interior ministry.
In February, residents of the nearby Moroccan town of Belyounech attempted to swim to Ceuta after the Moroccan government began demolishing unauthorized beachside homes to make way for new development.
While the number of migrants to reach Ceuta represents just a tiny fraction of the more than 31,000 irregular arrivals to Spain this year, Pérez said the 18.5 square kilometers (7.14 square miles) territory was under “extreme migratory pressure."
___
Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration