According to Reuters, Spain said that since July 30th, approximately 50,000 Moroccans have crossed the border into Huda. As of 6 p.m. on July 31st, 48,300 people had voluntarily returned.
According to the Spanish government, 57 bodies have been found in the border areas on the Spanish side, and there may be more casualties on the Moroccan side. Right-wing political parties across the European continent attribute this incident to Spain's relatively lax immigration policies.
Huda and Melilla are Spanish autonomous cities located in northern Morocco. They are also the only land borders between the EU and Africa. Both cities have experienced surges in cross-border travelers, but the recent surge seems to be unprecedented.
The Spanish government estimates that more than 60,000 people have attempted to cross the border from Morocco into Huda in recent times. Approximately 50,000 of these people crossed the border since July 30th. Huda currently has a registered population of 83,600, and the number of illegal immigrants has reached over half of the local population.
Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy, Angel Victor Torres, stated that one of the reasons for this wave of immigration may be a ruling issued by Spain's Supreme Court in early July. The ruling states that immigrants intercepted at sea attempting to reach Hodea or Melilla should not be immediately deported at the border. However, legal experts pointed out that this does not prevent them from being eventually deported.
