Thousands of Moroccan migrants crossed a Spanish border into the tiny territory of Ceuta on Thursday, overwhelming local leaders who have asked Spain to declare a state of emergency—as videos of the migrants flood social media, outraging right-wing politicians and activists.
Migrants cross from Morocco into Spain's Ceuta territory on Thursday. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)
Videos on social media and local reports show thousands of migrants have poured into Ceuta on Thursday, which Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Ceuta’s border police, said has caused “absolute chaos.”
Sbihi reportedly said he does not know exactly how many migrants have crossed the border, but said the amount is in the “thousands,” saying the border has “totally collapsed.”
Juan Jesús Vivas, the leader of Ceuta’s regional government, demanded Spain declare a national emergency and offer an increased police and army presence in the area, but Spain’s Interior Ministry said it could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns, the Associated Press reported.
