Thousands of migrants rush Spanish border, prompting call for national emergency: ‘Absolute chaos’

CEUTA, Spain — Thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, prompting local officials to call on Spain to declare a national emergency and send the army to restore the frontier.

Spain’s interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border, but that the government could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns.

“The situation is absolute chaos,” said Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, who police the border. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”

Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as ‘’exceptional.’’

“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,’’ he said.

Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. While the majority appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and children. “Viva España!” some shouted to a freelance photographer working for The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many migrants to cross to Ceuta.

Arrivals had been increasing, but reasons still unclear

The escalation at the frontier between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday. At least three people died yesterday attempting to reach Ceuta by sea, Sbihi and activists in both Morocco and Ceuta reported.

Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and the interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation and that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” who are trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together “for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally.”

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the Spanish Interior Minister, will travel to Ceuta on Friday to evaluate the situation.