Spain has rushed military and extra police to Ceuta, its North African enclave, after one of the largest single-day migrant crossings the territory has seen in years. The scenes, people swimming ashore, crowds breaking through border barriers, and a nearby crossing point briefly turning violent, have put a spotlight on a question many are now searching for online: why are people fleeing Morocco for Spain?
Why are thousands of people fleeing Morocco to Spainish territory Ceuta?
Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported that somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 people entered Ceuta in a single day this week, though the figure has not been independently verified. Footage circulating from the scene showed migrants swimming or drifting in on inflatable tubes from the Moroccan side, while others rushed a land gate and ran into the city as border guards struggled to hold the line.
Also Read: Spain deploys army as thousands of migrants swim from Morocco into Ceuta
Just across the frontier, in the Moroccan town of Fnideq, authorities reportedly used water cannons late into the night to try to push people back, a sign of how strained the situation had become on both sides of the fence.
