Hundreds of migrants entered the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, many of them having swum by sea around the frontier fence.

Migration from Morocco into Spain's two north African territories, Ceuta and Melilla, has long been a politically sensitive issue between the two countries, as thousands cross the border at times.

Reporters saw a stream of adults and children, most of them wet, entering the town, plus discarded flotation rings and clothes on the shore near where the frontier barrier meets the sea.

The president of Ceuta, Juan Vivas, said on Wednesday that 1,500 migrants had come to Ceuta by sea in the past few days.

"We are in a situation of total humanitarian and social emergency," he said in comments broadcast on Thursday by Spanish television.

"The reception centres are saturated – there is no more room for anyone in them and according to yesterday's figures the number of people entering is more than 200 a day."

Officials could not immediately be reached on Thursday to give more recent figures.

Migrants walked cheerfully through the streets of Ceuta, thanking the Spanish police and calling out: "Bye bye, Morocco, hello Spain."

Police and Civil Guards in Ceuta appeared to do little to intervene, though some officers attempted to direct the arrivals to the local migrant reception centre.

On the Moroccan side of the border, a reporter on Thursday afternoon saw hundreds of people, including children, gathered near the border between Ceuta and the local town of Fnideq, waiting to cross into the Spanish territory.

Some of them said they had come after hearing rumours that the border was going to be opened on Thursday morning.

Moroccan authorities did not comment.

The crossings coincided with Morocco's Throne Day, a national festival.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X that his government was "focussed on providing an immediate response to the crisis in Ceuta."

"We are mobilising all necessary resources, working with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normality as soon as possible."

Ceuta and Melilla have Europe's only two land borders with Africa. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp