Ceuta, one of Spain’s two autonomous cities in the North African coast, has experienced a dramatic surge in migrants arriving via sea
MADRID – The mass arrival of irregular migrants on the shores of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta has reached a tipping point, with local authorities warning of a “state of collapse”.
Ceuta – one of Spain’s two autonomous cities on the North African coast, together with Melilla – has recently experienced a dramatic surge in arrivals via sea.
Last week, 1,500 migrants arrived at the city’s shores. With a population of just 84,000, Ceuta’s reception services have been overwhelmed. Wednesday alone saw more than 800 people attempt to swim to Ceuta – a dangerous stretch of water of a few kilometres which has cost many of their lives.
In a radio interview with Onda Cero on Thursday, the city’s mayor Juan Jesús Vivas likened it to “one million people were entering Spain irregularly.”
