Eurasia Press & News
Approximately 3,000 people, including 1,000 minors, attempted to cross the border from Morocco into the neighboring Spanish enclave of Ceuta by sea on Monday, local authorities reported. Refugees and migrants set off by swimming and on rubber dinghies during low tide, and were detained upon entering the Spanish North African territory.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said in a statement Monday that it would beef up security in the area and that both Morocco and Spain had recently agreed all people crossing the border by water would be returned.
The two Spanish enclaves adjacent to Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla, are the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, making them popular entry points for migrants and asylum seekers. The territories are surrounded by walls, fences and the perilous waters of the Strait of Gibraltar and Alboran Sea.
As a rule, Spain does not grant Moroccans asylum status but does allow unaccompanied minors to remain under government supervision.
