Spain pushes last migrants out of Ceuta as locals suspect US role in ‘invasion’

The Spanish enclave of Ceuta saw the last of the thousands of migrants who had streamed in from Morocco this week preparing to leave, as most had already returned to Morocco the previous day. Those remaining mingled warily with locals, facing rebuffed requests for help and closed doors from food shops.

Many of the young men who arrived had risked their lives for a chance at a better life in Spain. Nourdine Boukherchoun, a 26-year-old who works stacking fruit in Tangier, expressed his determination to stay in Ceuta, stating, “I’m going to stay here in Spain, Ceuta, right till the end. No more Morocco.” He had spent a second night on the street, nursing a leg wound.

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I’m going to stay here in Spain, Ceuta, right till the end. No more Morocco.

Spanish officials suggest that online campaigns with unclear origins manipulated the migrants, while others were emboldened by a recent Spanish court ruling they believed would prevent their return. Migrants, however, claim they were alerted via social media that the border was open. The influx resulted in at least 67 drownings.

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OK. When you finish, send him to the border.

Some Ceuta residents, whose Spanish sovereignty is disputed by Morocco, suspect Rabat orchestrated the influx to pressure Spain. Migrants reported that Moroccan guards either ushered them toward the Spanish border or were overwhelmed by the crowds. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for an urgent EU meeting to address the crisis. Overnight, two people sustained minor injuries in stabbings by migrants, though the interior ministry assured residents there had been "no deaths."

Migrants also reported being chased by armed groups of Ceuta residents. Spanish soldiers in body armor and helmets were seen directing hundreds of migrants back toward the border, occasionally using physical force. A young Spanish woman alerted a soldier to the presence of more migrants nearby.

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There are more over there.