Tens of thousands of people made it ashore in Ceuta on the North African Mediterranean coast using various flotation devices or by swimming around the barriers between Morocco and Ceuta. Around 80 of them died, either by drowning or being trampled in the commotion at one of the barriers to Morocco.
Biggest in 20 years
According to the European Commission, it was the largest border crossing in one day in 20 years, says Forssell after the video meeting with the EU countries' ministers responsible for migration.
According to Forssell, the commission says that it involved up to 80,000 people.
Thanks to the resolute action of the Spanish authorities, many are back in Morocco, says Forssell, but he believes that what happened will be discussed for a long time and at more meetings.
He insists that Spain's migration policy is one of the reasons why what happened happened now.
I feel that many people want to play it down, he says, and also adds that "it matters what signals a country's migration policy sends."
Several reasons
But Forssell also says that there may be several reasons that may have played a role.
I think there have been some descriptions of Spanish politics that have not been accurate.
Earlier this year, Spain allowed migrants who had been in the country without permission for at least five months to apply for residency, a decision that some point to as a reason for the events in Ceuta. The application period for the amnesty expired in June, and 1.2 million people have submitted applications.
Most observers and analysts who have spoken out have highlighted a combination of factors that may be behind it. One is that Morocco has several reasons to put pressure on Spain and use migration as a weapon. This also happened in 2021, for example. Another is that smugglers have pushed and spread incorrect information about the possibilities of getting to Spain and the EU. Even though Ceuta is a Spanish exclave, it is not possible to travel from there to Spain without a passport and visa.
