In Spain, diocese pledges emergency aid as death toll rises in enclave’s border crisis

(OSV News) — The Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta offered emergency resources to civil authorities July 31 as more than 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, straining local infrastructure.

In a statement published July 30, the diocese said it was deeply concerned “over the severity of events and the particular vulnerability of so many people who are affected by this reality.”

“As a Diocesan Church, we reiterate our full readiness to collaborate with civil institutions and competent bodies, placing at their disposal the human and material resources available to us in order to contribute — through coordination and respect for the competencies of each administration — to attending to any needs that may arise,” the statement read.

According to a July 31 report by Spanish newspaper El País, at least 41 migrants died in their attempt to swim the El Tarajal border crossing and expected to rise as rescue operations continue in the waters near the border.

Located 11 miles from the Spanish mainland, Ceuta is an autonomous exclave on the North African coast that shares its only land border with Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar.

The crisis unfolded July 30 when tens of thousands of migrants, the majority of Moroccan origin, entered the Spanish city by swimming or walking along a breakwater near the border.

Police officials said that at times, the flow of people entering Ceuta reached up to 300 illegal entries per hour, El País reported.

The number of migrants who arrived surpassed the more than 8,000 who crossed after Morocco relaxed border controls in 2021, making it the largest migration crisis in Ceuta’s history.

According to The Associated Press, the sudden arrival of so many people, which represented a nearly 50% increase in the exclave’s population, forced thousands of migrants to sleep in the streets and in parks.

The crisis prompted strong reactions in Europe, particularly from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the images of tens of thousands of migrants entering the enclave show “that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders.”

“We are convening the relevant bodies, and following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen area with Spain,” Meloni said in a July 30 post on X.

The Schengen area allows for border-free travel among 29 European countries. If Meloni follows through with the suspension, mandatory identity and customs inspections would be reinstated.

Finland’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen criticized the Spanish government’s failure to secure its border and said that “all European countries must support Meloni’s proposal.”

“Countries that do not fulfill their obligation to protect the external border cannot be members of Schengen,” Rantanen said via X.

In France, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez ordered authorities to “immediately strengthen controls at the Spanish border” and activated the Rapid Intervention Border Force officers “for in-depth checks” of the border.

While the Spanish military has been able to prevent further entries, authorities continue to grapple with the tens of thousands that remain in Ceuta.

The Diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta announced that collections over the weekend would be used to assist the diocesan-run migrant center “where the most urgent needs will be managed in coordination with the relevant services.”

“We thank in advance the generosity of the faithful and of all people of good will, and we invite Christian communities to intensify their prayers for those who suffer, for those who hold the responsibility of managing this situation, and for all those working to build paths of peace, justice, and hope,” the diocese said.

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