Ceuta, Spain, is no longer a city on edge, but residents are still reeling from the events of the week. Most of the 60,000 illegal immigrants who swam, scrambled, and later charged into the tiny Spanish exclave in North Africa have walked back to Morocco.
Aftermath of the Border Surge
Spanish civil guard ships continued searching for bodies in the waters near the stretch of urban beach that tens of thousands of migrants had breached days earlier. Shops in Ceuta reopened, and the usual blend of residents and tourists in the city of 84,000 were filling the open-air terraces, restaurants, and cafes.
The city that prides itself on being home to four cultures is still grappling with the aftermath of the border surge, with locals disagreeing on what caused it and who exactly is to blame. At least 72 migrants died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, Spanish authorities said Sunday.
The humanitarian crisis caused by the sudden rush of people has reignited a debate around immigration in Europe and beyond. Some migrants who returned to Morocco described a border that was effectively open and said authorities did little as they watched thousands of people cross.
Over the weekend, far-right, anti-immigrant Spanish politicians and well-known right-wing influencers descended on the city, sparking counterprotests that included members of the Spanish city’s large Muslim population, many of whom are of Moroccan descent.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said he was “following with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, asking God … that solutions of peace, stability, and justice may be found.”
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
