Thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, prompting local authorities to request Spain declare a national emergency and send the army to restore order. The influx has overwhelmed reception centers and created a humanitarian crisis.

Rachid Sbihi, head of the association representing Spain’s Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, described the situation as "absolute chaos," noting that thousands of migrants are crossing and the border has "totally collapsed." Achraf Maimouni, from the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, called the situation "exceptional," explaining that the Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances allowing people to cross.

Video footage showed large groups, mainly young men but also families with women and children, entering Ceuta by swimming around the border fence and walking through local roads.

The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, stated the territory is in a "total humanitarian and social emergency," with reception centers saturated and facilities for unaccompanied minors operating at 2,400 percent capacity. Over the past 10 days, more than 2,000 migrants have crossed the border, according to Ceuta officials cited by El Pais.

Spain's interior ministry assured it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the border but said it could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns. In response to the crisis, Spain's government announced it would deploy the Armed Forces to assist the Civil Guard in maintaining security in Ceuta.

The White House criticized Spain's left-wing government for the border collapse, with deputy press secretary Anna Kelly urging Spain and other European countries to reverse policies enabling mass migration. Ceuta's president's request for a national emergency declaration was denied by Spain's Ministry of the Interior.

According to a Spanish government spokeswoman, nine bodies have been recovered amid the crisis, and one person has died, according to city authorities.

Migration from Morocco into Spain's two North African territories, Ceuta and Melilla, has long been a politically sensitive issue, as these territories represent the European Union's only land border with Africa.

Sources