Ceuta migrant crisis: Spain accuses Morocco of enabling mass border crossing

Spanish officials have accused Morocco of helping fuel the recent mass border crossing into Ceuta, as scrutiny grows over the migrant crisis that overwhelmed the Spanish enclave.

According to The Guardian, about 69,500 people who entered Ceuta from Morocco last week have since returned, while around 2,500 remain in the territory.

Ceuta's leader Juan Jesus Vivas described the crossings as "an atrocity" and said the city had paid a heavy price.

"It's an atrocity. There are 88 bodies in the morgue, and there are more on the other side of the border,” Vivas said.

"People see this not as a migration crisis; it was fundamentally an attack, a violation of Spain's territorial integrity. People felt that this, if not orchestrated, was at least encouraged or permitted by Morocco,” he added.

According to The Guardian, Spanish intelligence believes social media misinformation following a court ruling on migrant deportations contributed to the surge, while Moroccan border controls were reportedly reduced before the crossings.

Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles also called on Rabat to investigate the events, saying: "Neither Spain nor Morocco can look the other way when it comes to this tragedy."

European Union interior ministers are expected to discuss the crisis, while Spain has urged member states to show greater solidarity after criticism from several governments over its handling of the situation.