Ceuta: Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine people dying in the attempt.
The announcement came after local authorities in Ceuta asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements as large crowds breached the border fence on Thursday.
Spain's government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “to maintain security in the city of Ceuta”. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit Ceuta on Friday with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association representing Spain's Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It's not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed”.
Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking from Tarajal beach onto local roads. While most appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and small children.
Spain's government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died Thursday during the chaos. It did not provide details on the circumstances of the deaths.
Spain's Interior Ministry said Morocco was “closely cooperating” with Spain and that Moroccan police were stopping “numerous people” trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together to return those who entered Ceuta illegally.
The escalation followed a surge in migrants attempting to reach Ceuta, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday. Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings.
Juan Jesús Vivas, head of Ceuta's regional government, had called for a national emergency and asked for more police and the army to be deployed on the border. He had warned that migrant reception centres were overwhelmed after more than 1,500 migrants entered the territory in the previous week.
As of July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to Spain's Interior Ministry.
Ceuta, a Spanish possession since 1580, lies on the North African coast and shares a border with Morocco.