Ceuta migrant border crisis

Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta

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Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately returned to Morocco without due process.

Earlier this month, the Spanish Supreme Court issued a ruling regarding the treatment of migrants reaching Ceuta by sea. The decision found that, unlike those who cross the border by land, such as by scaling fences, migrants arriving via maritime routes cannot be immediately returned to Morocco without following due process.

The ruling has been a subject of debate among officials and activists. While some question whether the decision triggered recent surges in crossings, others have noted that the legal decision may not have been widely known by those attempting the crossing.

Border crisis where more than 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta in two days.

In May 2021, more than 8,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in just two days, according to activist Omar Naji, who later drew parallels to subsequent migration waves. State television TVE reported that around 10,000 youths had crossed during that period, overwhelming border security and prompting a humanitarian emergency.

The crisis highlighted the political sensitivity of migration from Morocco into Ceuta, the European Union's only land border with Africa, and led to calls for national emergency measures. The incident remains a reference point for understanding the scale of later migration surges in the region.