France deploys 'Rapid Intervention Border Force' amid Ceuta migrant surge

France announced it will deploy its "Rapid Intervention Border Force" to the Franco-Spanish border amid a significant influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated on Friday that personnel from this interministerial unit would be sent to the border.

This move follows the arrival of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants, by land or sea, in Ceuta over the past few days. The Spanish city, located on the north coast of Africa, has a population of 80,000 and covers an area of 18.5 square kilometers. The tense migratory situation prompted France's decision to deploy its border force.

The "Force Frontière d’intervention rapide" (FFIR) is designed to conduct "deep controls" in border zones that are exposed or sensitive due to specific events. The unit facilitates the pooling of law enforcement resources, enabling the rapid projection of contingents into an area when an exceptional event occurs. This interministerial structure is directed by...

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