Hundreds of migrants have entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco over the past week, the territory’s leader has said.

Juan Jesús Vivas said the influx is overwhelming resources and urged the Spanish government to intervene. Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is expected to visit on Friday, according to news agency Reuters.

Footage showed migrants swimming and using inflatable rings and other flotation devices to swim to Ceuta on Thursday, while others ran through a gate in the border fence.

Ceuta, on Morocco’s northern coast, is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar and has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Earlier this month, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to Morocco.

Spain’s interior ministry said they believed human trafficking networks were exploiting that ruling to “encourage the flow of undocumented migrants, mostly young people”.

They said they cooperate with Morocco on all areas, including migration, and that both countries have agreed to strengthen efforts to address matter, including “the handover, as soon as possible, of all people who have entered Ceuta illegally”.

There are conflicting reports on the scale of the crossing, with figures ranging from hundreds to thousands of people.

Spanish media estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 people entered Ceuta on Thursday, according to Reuters, but said that the Guardia Civil had not confirmed the figure.

Meanwhile, Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE reported that “hundreds” crossed into the territory during the day. It also said more than 1,500, mostly young Moroccan migrants, had reached Ceuta over the past two weeks.

Vivas said the bodies of 60 people had been recovered at sea in recent months, RTVE reported.

He also added the territory was facing a humanitarian and security emergency, warning that reception centres for unaccompanied minors were operating at several times their intended capacity, according to Reuters.

The surge has prompted comparisons with May 2021, when around 8,000 people entered Ceuta over a matter of days, exacerbating diplomatic tensions with Morocco.

Spain’s Ceuta and Melilla enclaves, which are located in North Africa, represent the European Union’s only land border with Africa.

Spanish authorities have increased security around the enclaves in recent years through increased surveillance, barrier reinforcement, and improved bilateral relations with Morocco, but people continue to attempt to cross.

Meanwhile, Italy have called for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen zone, with Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni saying they were “prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens”.

In a post on X she said the images from Ceuta were “striking”, and show that “uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders”. (BBC)

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