MADRID, Aug 3: At least 3,000 undocumented migrants remain in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta after a mass influx from Morocco last week, the city's mayor said on Monday, as European union officials prepared to discuss the crisis on August 4.
Ceuta Mayor-President Juan Jesus Vivas said around 80,000 people crossed into the Spanish territory over four days, describing the arrivals as a violation of Spain's territorial integrity.
"Four days later, between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in the city," Vivas was quoted as saying by Spanish news agency Europa Press.
The mayor said the number of arrivals was comparable to Ceuta's total population, which stands at around 85,000.
Spanish authorities deployed additional police, Civil Guard officers and military personnel to the enclave after thousands of migrants crossed the border from Morocco in late July. Most of those who entered have since returned to Morocco, according to Spanish officials.
The influx has triggered a wider European response, with 22 EU member states' ambassadors preparing for an extraordinary informal meeting of interior ministers on Aug. 4 to discuss the situation.
EU foreign policy chief Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the bloc's response, saying the episode required a lessons learned process to strengthen Europe's resilience. She added that no migrants who entered during the surge had reached mainland Spain or other parts of the European Union.
Twenty-two European leaders called for the meeting to establish a "common assessment of the situation" in Ceuta and agree on a coordinated EU response.
"We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European union is possible," the leaders said in a joint letter, warning that such a perception could encourage further attempts and undermine confidence in the bloc's migration policy.
As per the media report the signatories said they would consider additional measures, including strengthening or temporarily reintroducing internal border controls, to address migration pressures.
The crisis has renewed debate among EU countries over border security and migration management. Several migrants died while attempting to reach Ceuta by sea during the surge.
Ceuta and the nearby Spanish enclave of Melilla are the European Union's only land borders with Africa. (UNI)
