Spain reports 'reasonable normality' in Ceuta amid migration crisis fallout
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Spain announced a return to reasonable normality in Ceuta after a massive influx of nearly 60,000 migrants from Morocco, though some officials dispute the claim of normalcy.
- Migrants, mostly young men and adolescents, crossed into the Spanish enclave by swimming or climbing fences, with at least 67 reported dead.
- The influx triggered a diplomatic crisis, with EU interior ministers set to discuss the situation and accusations that Spain's government was too permissive on immigration.
Spain declared a "reasonable normality" had returned to the North African enclave of Ceuta on Saturday, following the departure of most of the tens of thousands of people who had crossed from Morocco, sparking a major migration crisis.
Invasion? No. That is a lie. All the people want to go up, they want a good future, which there isn't in Morocco. Right now I was working as a security guard, 12 hours. And how much do they pay me per day? Ten euros.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska visited Ceuta to reassure residents, stating that while the crisis was not over, the situation was "reasonably normal." He indicated that "almost all" migrants who entered en masse had left, though exact figures were difficult to ascertain. However, the city's president, Juan Vivas, disagreed, asserting that "thousands of people must still be returned" and that true normality had not yet been achieved.
Although "the crisis is not considered closed," the situation is one of "reasonable normality."
The autonomous city, home to about 84,000 people, experienced one of its worst migration crises as thousands, primarily young men and adolescents, arrived by sea and by scaling border fences. At least 67 are reported to have died attempting the crossing. While some areas showed signs of returning to normal with busy cafes and traffic, others still faced shortages, with one resident noting, "The shelves are empty."
The shelves are empty.
The mass arrival triggered a diplomatic spat, with some European partners accusing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sรกnchez's government of being too lenient on immigration. Sรกnchez responded by calling an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers to address the crisis.
There is still quite a bit of commotion and, honestly, there is no tranquility.
Originally published by TVN Panamรก in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.