Spain Tightens Migration Rules After 72,000 Crossed Into Ceuta, Boosting Aid for 5,000 Still There
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 3
Spain Tightens Migration Rules After 72,000 Crossed Into Ceuta, Boosting Aid for 5,000 Still There
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 3
Summary
Madrid is tightening migration rules and sending more money and resources to Ceuta, where about 5,000 migrants are still stranded more than a month after 72,000 crossed from Morocco.
1,200 unaccompanied children are among those left in the enclave, with hundreds still sleeping on beaches or near overcrowded centers after weeks of delayed coordination by the central government.
23 sexual assaults against migrants have been reported, including nine against children, while anti-migrant protests have turned violent and police used teargas after tents were burned on a beach.
Pedro Sánchez has blamed disinformation around a Supreme Court ruling protecting migrants from rapid returns, while defending Morocco against claims it orchestrated the breach.
Ceuta, a city of about 84,000, has become a political flashpoint that is straining Spain's pro-immigration message and exposing splits with regional leaders and EU partners.