The death toll in the mass rush of tens of thousands of people attempting to cross onto a tiny peninsula on Morocco's coast has risen to at least 67. Border controls along the six-mile-long peninsula have broken down in recent days, allowing people to cross onto the Spanish-governed side.
Some 50,000 migrants climbed over 20-foot-high border fences or swam for hours to get into the city of Ceuta this week, mostly on Thursday. The surge of people looking for a fresh start in the North African exclave saw dozens drown or be crushed while trying to reach the other side.
Ceuta's government calls situation 'absolutely unsustainable'
Juan Jesús Vivas, the head of Ceuta's government, said the situation is 'absolutely unsustainable' for a city of just 83,000 residents. At least 48,300 migrants, mostly young Moroccan men looking for work, have been returned to Morocco as of Friday evening.
City officials have refused to feed or shelter those who remain in the city. 'We have not eaten in two days,' Soufiane ez-Znafry, 26, from Morocco, told The New York Times. 'All these people are hungry because we have not eaten in two days,' he said, saying his stomach was 'growling'.
Migrants describe hunger, confiscation, and violence
The sous chef left Tangier, a city in northwestern Morocco, for Ceuta on Thursday carrying a bag of clothing and a few prized possessions. After making it to the city, ez-Znafry said Spanish authorities took his bag away and only gave him a pair of sandals to wear. Other Moroccans told the newspaper that they have been beaten – sometimes until unconscious – by hooded people. Teens as young as 15 told Spanish EL PAÍS that they fled to Ceuta without even telling their parents, now looking to find a phone to tell their families they are safe.
Spain is a main point of arrival for people seeking a new life in Europe, or those fleeing from war or violence in their home countries. Spain began installing a floating barrier near a sea wall on the Tarajal breakwater between the borders this morning. A handful of exhausted migrants who swam to the beach this morning were met by soldiers who forced them to return.
Spain reinforces border with floating barrier
The 1,640-foot buoy will create 'a containment barrier, a physical barrier, if only a visual one' to strengthen the borders, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Friday. The exact cause of the sudden influx is unclear, but Sánchez blamed it on smuggling groups exploiting a recent Supreme Court ruling. Judges ruled that the Spanish authorities cannot immediately expel asylum seekers who attempt to swim to Spain's territories in Africa.
Smuggling groups exploit court ruling, says PM
Human traffickers have spread rumours about the ruling, Sánchez added on Friday, misleading them into thinking it means they could remain on Spanish soil. The deaths have been seized by right-wing politicians across Europe, with Italy suspending its Schengen Area agreement with Spain. The country will subject non-European Union citizens entering Italy from Spain to additional scrutiny this month. The Schengen Area allows for passport-free movement among European Union member states; Ceuta, however, is not part of it.
