The death toll from mass border crossings into Spain's Ceuta enclave has reached 67, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced plans for a barrier and condemned the reaction of some EU countries.
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Key facts
- The death toll in the Ceuta border crisis has risen to 67.
- Tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to the Spanish enclave this week.
- The Spanish government announced plans for a barrier.
- PM Pedro Sanchez condemned some EU states' reaction as 'selfish, polarising and illegal'.
- Sanchez thanked Morocco for its help managing the crisis.
The death toll in the Ceuta border crisis has risen to 67, according to the Guardian, after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave this week. In response to the crisis, the Spanish government announced plans for a barrier.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has hit back at some EU countries for what he described as their “selfish, polarising and illegal reaction” to the mass border crossings at Ceuta. At the same time, he thanked Morocco for its help in dealing with the crisis.
In a letter to Brussels, Sanchez said several European states had chosen to “attack” Spain and request its temporary exclusion from the Schengen area. He said this was driven by “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interests” that ran contrary to European law, humanitarian law and the principles of EU solidarity, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported.
The crisis is unfolding alongside a wider strain on emergency services across Europe, where several countries have been battling major wildfires. Greece, France and Spain have all been dealing with significant outbreaks.
In France, one of the country’s most destructive wildfires in decades has been fought in the south-west. The “megafire”, as it became known, ravaged 42,000 hectares (about 103,800 acres) of land in the Gironde region. The Guardian’s Jason Burke reported from Le Porge on the efforts of firefighters, soldiers and volunteers, with one senior firefighter saying: “We have gone beyond what we thought possible. We stared into an abyss.”
French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the Gironde wildfire had now been “contained” and was “no longer spreading”, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.
Why it matters
The Ceuta crisis has become a flashpoint in Europe's ongoing debates over migration, border management and the Schengen free-movement area. The dispute between Spain and other EU states, coupled with a rising death toll, underlines the human cost and political tensions surrounding the situation.
Frequently asked questions
How many people have died in the Ceuta border crisis?
The death toll has risen to 67, according to the Guardian.
What has Spain announced in response to the crisis?
The Spanish government announced plans for a barrier after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into the enclave.
Why is Sanchez criticising other EU countries?
Sanchez said several European states chose to attack Spain and requested its temporary exclusion from the Schengen area, a reaction he called selfish, polarising and illegal in a letter to Brussels.
Timeline
- Sánchez condemns ‘polarising’ reaction of some EU countries to Ceuta border crisis as death toll rises – Europe live
The Guardian World: In letter to Brussels, Spanish PM hits out at ‘selfish and illegal’ responses after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spanish enclave Wildfires continued to put pressure on emergency services across Europe, with Greece , France and Spain all battling major outbr
- Sánchez condemns ‘selfish’ reaction of some EU countries to Ceuta border crisis as death toll rises – Europe live
The Guardian World: In letter to Brussels, Spanish PM hits out at ‘polarising and illegal’ reaction after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spanish enclave The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has hit back at some EU countries for what he described as their “selfish, polarisi
- Death toll in Ceuta border crisis rises to 67 as Spanish government announces plans for barrier – Europe live
The Guardian World: Tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to the Spanish enclave this week France has been battling one of its most destructive wildfires in decades, with firefighters facing a vast and unpredictable inferno in the south-west of the country. In this feature, my colleague J