The images from the small Spanish exclave of Ceuta, located on the northwest corner of the African continent and completely surrounded by Morocco, are dramatic. Crowds of people are packed on beaches, streets and in the water.
Ceuta's local leader Juan Jesús Vivas estimated on Friday afternoon that around 60,000 people had made it to the Spanish strip of land from Morocco in the past 24 hours. Around 30 are believed to have drowned while trying to swim across the border.
The exclave's population, registered at just under 84,000 people, has temporarily increased by over 50 percent, writes El País.
Court decision
Spain's Supreme Court ruled earlier in July that migrants stopped at sea trying to reach Ceuta or the other Spanish exclave of Melilla cannot be sent back to Morocco. This may explain why so many migrants are currently choosing to reach Ceuta by sea.
Spain also has a more pro-migrant stance than most other EU countries. Just a month ago, the deadline for undocumented migrants to apply for a one-year residence permit expired. Authorities estimated that 500,000 migrants would apply, but in reality around a million people applied.
Criticism from several quarters
The amnesty was heavily criticized both in and outside Spain. At home, the conservative Partido Popular and the far-right Vox party argued that it would attract even more undocumented immigrants. In the EU, criticism of Spain has been rife and there is concern that Spain is choosing a different path than the one the Union has jointly outlined. The EU's common asylum and migration pact came into force on 12 June.
Good weather conditions, such as those currently prevailing, are also usually a factor that drives up the number of migrants swimming, but local authorities in Ceuta say what is happening now is unusual.
Pressure tool?
Most of those trying to get to Ceuta are Moroccans, many of them with dreams of a better life in Europe.
Several observers believe that Morocco is using the migrant issue as a means of exerting pressure on Spain. The Spanish Prime Minister recently visited Morocco's neighbor Algeria, which some say was not appreciated by Morocco due to long-standing disputes between the North African countries.
