On July 31, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that the massive influx of migrants from Morocco into Spain’s African enclave of Ceuta constitutes a real attack and a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.
“An attack, a violation of the territorial integrity of Spain,” Sanchez stated during his speech, which was broadcast on the government’s official page. Sanchez is currently in the city where the incident occurred and oversees measures taken by authorities to resolve the situation and restore normalcy.
The surge followed Spain’s closure of the sole crossing point in Melilla, a border town with Morocco, the previous day. Thousands of migrants have attempted to reach Spanish shores using inflatable rafts and makeshift vessels, resulting in at least 18 drownings.
European nations have raised serious concerns over the crisis. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed temporarily halting Spain’s participation in the Schengen Agreement. Her proposal has garnered support from Finland, where Foreign Minister Marie Rantanen accused Madrid of failing to fulfill its duties to protect the external border.
