More than 40,000 illegal migrants from Morocco enter Ceuta, Spain

More than 40,000 undocumented migrants from Morocco have entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa over the last few days, according to initial estimates released on Friday, as reported by the Spanish daily El Pais. Based on security official estimates, the majority of these arrivals occurred on Thursday. Some sources suggest the number of undocumented arrivals could approach 50,000 people. Even using the lower estimates, the figure represents an increase of nearly 50 per cent relative to Ceuta’s official population of over 80,000. Meanwhile, hundreds of undocumented migrants who entered Ceuta in recent hours were reported to have begun returning to Morocco through the same crossing points used to enter the territory. A police source confirmed to the public broadcaster RTVE on Friday that the death toll associated with this wave of arrivals has risen to 19. On Friday morning, hundreds of migrants were reported to have clashed with security forces at the border fences while attempting to cross from Morocco into Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish enclave in North Africa. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that the government has deployed all available resources to manage the situation. The Spanish government also announced that the armed forces will be deployed to support the Civil Guard in maintaining security throughout the city.