According to Reuters report dated August 1st local time, as Spanish police began installing a 500-meter-long floating barrier in the waters bordering Morocco that day, the influx of illegal immigrants entering its North African enclave of Ceuta ceased overnight. A video published by the same news agency on the same day showed Spanish soldiers and police patrolling the foggy and deserted Tarajal beach.
The Spanish government stated that since July 30th, approximately 50,000 illegal immigrants have illegally entered Ceuta through land and sea routes, causing chaos in the area. This border crossing incident has resulted in as many as 67 deaths. Spain indicated that more than 48,000 people have returned to Morocco within 48 hours.
Reuters noted that this is one of the few land borders between the EU and Africa where an unprecedented surge in illegal immigration has occurred. This large-scale cross-border incident has alerted the entire EU, and 22 member states have sent letters calling for coordinated actions to protect external borders and other relevant measures.
Huda is a Spanish enclave in North Africa. Image from sources.
Ireland, chairing the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), has convened an emergency video conference of EU interior ministers on August 4th to discuss this crisis.
Previously, several European leaders stated that border checks would be implemented if necessary, and even Spain’s membership in the Schengen Area, a region where freedom of movement is allowed across Europe, could be suspended. In addition, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez also faced fierce criticism and warnings from colleagues in other EU countries.
According to Bloomberg, on August 1 local time, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez criticized the reactions of some EU member states to the large number of illegal immigrants entering the Spanish-administered North African enclave of Ceuta this week as ‘selfish, divisive, and illegal’.
Sanchez wrote in a letter to high-level representatives of the EU that the way some European governments have dealt with this matter "not only violates EU laws, humanitarian law, and the principle of maintaining unity among all parties, but also harms Europe's long-term interests, going against the most basic common sense."
Sanchez said that Spain has 'serious concerns' about measures taken under the influence of 'prejudice, false information, lack of knowledge, or political interests'. The EU cannot afford such selfish, divisive, and illegal responses.
