60,000 People Swim and Boat Into Spanish Enclave; Estimated 57 Dead

[Anchor]

Chaos erupted in a Spanish territory in North Africa as 60,000 migrants flooded the area, prompting the deployment of military forces. With an estimated 57 deaths reported amid the influx, neighboring European countries have also stepped up border controls.

Reported by Jung Jun-ho.

[Reporter]

People continuously pour in, swimming along the coast or arriving in boats.

Attempts by security forces to stop them are in vain.

Migrants from Morocco in North Africa are illegally crossing into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta.

[Migrant from Morocco: There are no good teachers, and life in Morocco is difficult. That is why I swam all the way here.]

The city of Ceuta estimated that 60,000 migrants, accounting for over 70 percent of the city's population, flooded in all at once within a single day.

The Spanish government estimated that 57 people died in the process, including drowning incidents at sea.

The Spanish government analyzed that about 48,000 of the unauthorized entrants voluntarily returned to Morocco.

Analysts attribute this massive influx of migrants to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the immediate repatriation of maritime migrants, as well as the pro-migrant policies of the Sanchez government.

In response to the chaos, the Spanish government announced that it would swiftly deport undocumented migrants and strengthen maritime border patrols.

[Pedro Sanchez / Spanish Prime Minister: We intend to define what happened yesterday as an aggression violating Spanish territory.]

The European Union has demanded that Spain take immediate control of the situation.

Italy has abruptly closed maritime and air borders to and from Spain, while France has decided to significantly reinforce border checks in regions bordering Spain.

Leaders of major countries, including the European Commission, Germany, and Sweden, also stated that immigrants violating regulations cannot be tolerated, urging the Spanish government to take a hard-line response.

The Ceuta crisis has led to tightened immigration controls across European nations, sparking debates over immigration policies within the international community.

(Video Editing: Jung Yong-hwa)

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