Tens of thousands of migrants enter Spain from Morocco

MADRID: Nearly 60,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in a mass border crossing that left dozens dead, according to Spanish authorities.

Officials said thousands of migrants entered Ceuta by land and sea in one of the largest attempted crossings in recent years. Spanish authorities said 34 people were killed during the incidents linked to the mass crossing.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty, accusing human trafficking networks of encouraging illegal migration by misrepresenting a ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court.

Sánchez said authorities were accelerating the repatriation of migrants who entered Ceuta illegally and thanked Moroccan officials for their cooperation in managing the situation.

Ceuta and Melilla are Spain’s two autonomous enclaves in North Africa and the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, making them key entry points for migrants seeking to reach Europe.