Spain mobilises army as stores & bars close after thousands of migrants storm border and at least 18 die on trip

SPAIN has mobilised its army after thousands of migrants stormed a border crossing, sparking terrified locals to close stores, restaurants and bars. At least 18 people have died while trying to swim to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in northern Africa that is seeing waves of migrants arriving on its shores. Thousands of migrants have flooded a Spanish enclave in northern Africa Credit: EPA Spain’s army has been mobilised to deal with the crisis Credit: AP Migrants from Morocco are still arriving in Ceuta at nightfall Credit: Reuters Local business owners have kept the shutters down amid the arrivals Credit: EPA Authorities urged the government to declare a national emergency as overwhelmed border guards struggled to deal with the influx. It has prompted Madrid to mobilise army units to support the overrun Guardia Civil – who are still dealing with migrants arriving at nightfall. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Local business owners have opted to keep their shutters down as thousands flood the city centre. Residents are reportedly fearing for their safety amid a high risk of looting and riots. Migrants climb a fence to get into the Spanish territory Credit: EPA Migrants walk past a Guardia Civil member as they arrive Credit: Reuters The President of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, was quick to declare a total humanitarian and social emergency. He said: “In the past few days more than 1,500 migrants, both adults and minors, have come to Ceuta by sea. “The reception centres are saturated – there is no more room for anyone in them and according to yesterday’s figures the number of people entering is more than 200 a day.” Spain’s soft-touch Supreme Court has come under fire for ruling that migrants who arrive by sea should not be subject to immediate expulsion as they are not crossing a physical land border. Most read in The Sun Police gather as migrants cross the EU border in their droves Credit: EPA The enclave has seen more than 200 hundred people arrive a day before today’s explosion Credit: EPA The decision has been exploited by people-smuggling gangs and brought with it a wave of undocumented migration. In response, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has declared she is prepared to ban Spain from the Schengen area. She wrote on X: “The images coming from Ceuta are striking and demonstrate, once again, that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders. “We are convening the relevant bodies, and following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain. Shocking footage showed hundreds arriving by sea and running down the beach Credit: X/visegrad24 “On illegal immigration, we will not yield an inch: defending the borders, stopping human traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations will continue to be the line of this Government.” Spain‘s socialist government stands out for its pro-migration stance. It has recently launched a scheme to provide legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants and received a huge influx of applications. Shocking video from today’s explosion of arrivals in Ceuta showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, rushing across the sand attempting to make it to the road. The majority are young men but several whole families, including young children, can also be seen. They had managed to jump over the border fence separating the city from Morocco, according to Spanish state news agency EFE. Some could be heard chanting “Viva Espana!” – Long Live Spain – as they walked past. The Moroccan government also promised it would work “faithfully and permanently with Spain” in regards to the ongoing crisis. They said: “Moroccan security forces are preventing the arrival of numerous people who are trying to reach Ceuta from Morocco.” Morocco and Spain have reportedly agreed to return migrants who entered Ceuta during the latest surge, according to Hespress. Vivas said 60 bodies had been recovered at sea in recent months with several washing up to shore in Ceuta. He has warned the humanitarian crisis will only worsen while migrant centers are so full as hundreds of people will be forced to sleep on the streets. He added that housing units for minors were now operating at 2,400 per cent capacity. Back in 2021, 8,000 migrants swam from Morocco into Ceuta over a few days. The arrivals also included the largest ever number of migrants in a single day, thought to be around 6,000. Ceuta residents had locked themselves indoors as the army rounded up migrants fleeing Morocco, La Vanguardia reported. Hundreds of migrants risk injuries or even death every year while trying to jump over fences, hide inside vehicles or by swimming around breakwaters that extend into the Mediterranean Sea. Comment now