Border Tightly Guarded: Floating Barrier Installed in Ceuta Amid Migrant Influx

Spanish border police have erected a floating barrier in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on North Africa's coast, following an unprecedented influx of approximately 50,000 migrants. The situation prompted the deployment of heavily armed military and hundreds of police officers from mainland Spain to manage the border and deport those who had crossed.

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With everything that is happening now, we felt we needed to pick her up.

Selma Bachir, a resident of Ceuta, described the scene as chaotic, with groups of young Moroccan men seen roaming the streets and military vehicles patrolling with mounted machine guns. Her family, who have lived in Ceuta for generations and consider themselves native "makrillar" (a local term), felt compelled to meet her at the ferry terminal due to the unrest. Bachir expressed disbelief at the spontaneous nature of the crossing, suggesting it was likely a planned event orchestrated by state actors.

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To have more than 50,000 people cross the border in just a couple of days – that we have never seen before. I find it hard to believe it happened spontaneously through word-of-mouth on the internet. I believe this was planned by at least one and perhaps several state actors.

While Bachir acknowledged the Spanish government's need to take firm action, her great-aunt Fatima voiced distress over the treatment of migrants, particularly the denial of food. "Denying migrants food, I think that's wrong. A sandwich and a bottle of water, can't we give them that? They just want a better life..." she lamented. Selma countered that the sheer volume of people arriving at once overwhelmed local resources, forcing businesses and even gas stations to temporarily halt food sales.

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Maybe all of this is necessary.

As of Saturday, the situation has stabilized. Spanish authorities report that 48,300 of the estimated 50,000 individuals who entered Ceuta have returned to Morocco. On the border with Morocco, a few hundred migrants were seen waiting on the other side of a beach. The flow has reversed, with thousands of Moroccans chanting "Thank you and goodbye Spain!" as they departed in groups.

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Denying migrants food, I think that's wrong. A sandwich and a bottle of water, can't we give them that? They just want a better life...