Unstoppable. To the cry of «long live Spain!». Embraced. In tears. Mostly young men of Moroccan origin. But also hundreds of minors. Some were babies. Entire families were also seen. Even elderly people. And, in the midst of that avalanche, corpses spat out by the sea of drowned and crushed – at least nine – on both sides of a breakwater that divides two worlds.
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Ceuta relived yesterday, from nine in the morning, its worst memories in migration matters. At that time, a trickle of people swimming across began, which by noon turned into an avalanche of thousands starting at the Castillejos beach, the town on the other side of the border, and ending at the Tarajal beach, the first stretch of Ceuta’s coast on this side of the fence. At that moment, there was no need to jump into the water. Along the rocks, bordering a fence, on foot, it was already possible to access Spain.
If in 2021, over four days, around 14,000 people irregularly entered the autonomous city via the breakwater that marks the border with Morocco, identical scenes were witnessed this Thursday. Without official figures yet – «it is impossible to know for sure, but thousands, that’s clear», government sources of the city suggest amid the silence of the Government Delegation – various police forces deployed in Ceuta considerably raise the number of immigrants who arrived yesterday in Ceuta. «No less than 20,000, we are sure», says a civil guard stationed in the autonomous city. Police unions and security sources also endorse that figure.
«Morocco does not deceive anyone», adds that civil guard anonymously. «We knew for days that thousands of young people from all over the country were arriving. They could have dispersed them and moved them away from the border, as they have done other times when they know there are groups of hundreds of sub-Saharans near the fence. But, as five years ago, this time they didn’t want to either. There has been permissiveness. The collaboration these days was limited to picking up those who approached swimming in a boat that we signaled to them in the middle of the sea with our barge. Yesterday the gates of Ceuta were opened. It will be said no, because it is not convenient, by politicians, but this does not happen if the neighbor does not want it».
A colleague of this agent, who also cannot be identified, speaks in the same vein: «Morocco loosens and tightens with immigrants when it wants. But this is worse than in 2021. It was foreseeable and no action was taken. We have had more than a week with over 200 swimmers entering every day. Since nothing was done, people organized themselves and took the chance. Now the problem is ours. But imagine if this happened in Córdoba, in Barcelona or, better, in Madrid. Would the response have been the same?».
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The forceful response took time to arrive. In the morning, at nine, when the city’s situation was already chaotic, with thousands of immigrants running through the streets without a specific direction – although many of them headed towards foreigner reception centers – the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas (PP), asked the Government to deploy the Army. From Moncloa, the request for a «national emergency» that would allow the deployment of the Army was discredited. That express request was made by Alberto Núñez Feijóo at 15:04. However, up to eight hours after the start of the avalanche, the Executive did not announce a military deployment to reinforce the Civil Guard. The mobilized forces will be coordinated by the operations command and support the Benemérita.
To the 60 personnel of the Reserve and Security Group (ARS) permanently assigned to border surveillance, an additional platoon of 20 personnel has already been added. It was also planned that during the afternoon and early night hours, another 40 personnel would arrive from the peninsula. 20 members of the Reserve and Security Groups (GRS) of the Civil Guard were traveling aboard the ferry between Algeciras and Ceuta at 20:30 yesterday. In addition, the Ceuta Citizen Security unit is reinforced with 30 agents from Andalusian units. Also sent are 16 divers from the Special Group of Underwater Activities (GEAS) of Andalusia. The Duque de Ahumada ship joins the tasks carried out by the six boats already assigned to the Ceuta Maritime Service.
From the Moroccan side, there was no news about reinforcements until late afternoon, when Efe confirmed that tear gas and water cannons began to be used. By then, Frontex, the European border surveillance agency, had already offered reinforcements. From a crucial partner in Europe like Italy, the suspension of free movement of people was already being considered. And the United States accused Sánchez of «his far-left globalist policies». The Spanish president will go to Ceuta today along with Minister Marlaska.
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