MADRID (AP) — Thousands of migrants have streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa from Morocco, prompting local officials to call for help from Spain’s national government in Madrid to restore the border.
Videos and images from the frontier showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco onto local roads. The majority looked to be young men, though there were also families with women and children.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said it would guarantee its citizens’ safety and border integrity, but that the government could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns.
The escalation at the frontier comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, a day before. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many migrants to cross to Ceuta.
Here’s what to know.
Ceuta and the larger Spanish territory of Melilla that is some 400 kilometers (250 miles) further south, are located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa. Both autonomous cities belong to Spain and share the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.
In Spanish possession since 1580, Ceuta is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, and Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers who live in relative harmony.
Morocco does not officially recognize Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory, and often refers to them as occupied lands.
The city of 85,000 has been a flashpoint in major diplomatic crises in recent memory between Madrid and Rabat.
In May 2021, the Moroccan government dropped its border controls and let some 8,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries pour into Ceuta in just two days.
The move was broadly interpreted as retaliation from Morocco for Spain’s decision to allow a pro-independence leader from the disputed Western Sahara region to be treated for COVID-19 at a Spanish hospital.
Tensions were defused and the border restored only after Spain’s prime minister shifted Spain’s long-standing position on Western Sahara, and met with Moroccan King Mohammed VI the following year.
Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
Ceuta and its sister city Melilla are heavily fortified, as the territories are seen as a destination for those trying to reach Spain from Morocco and other parts of Africa.
Many migrants who reach Ceuta or Melilla are immediately turned back, while others held in migrant shelters are processed and can apply for asylum in Spain.
To reach Ceuta, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Castillejos, covering about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.
Still, migrant arrivals to Ceuta and Melilla are generally much lower than those reaching Spain through the Canary and Balearic Islands.
Spain’s overall immigrant population has grown considerably in recent decades, with around 10 million people in the country of 50 million having been born elsewhere.
Many are from Colombia, Venezuela and Morocco, and work in key sectors of the Spanish economy, including agriculture, tourism and the service sector.