Clash Breaks Out in Spain's Ceuta After Illegal Migrants Break In

Hundreds of migrants attempt to swim from Morocco to the Spanish city of Ceuta in North Africa. (ANTARA/Marcos Moreno - Anadolu Agency/pri.

JAKARTA - The migration crisis in Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city in the North African region, is heating up and causing clashes between residents and illegal immigrants from Morocco, according to local media reports and videos circulating on social media.

A Spanish blogger, David Santos, uploaded a video that recorded the chase of residents and immigrants on the streets through the X platform.

He said Moroccans who had settled in the El Príncipe area had also expelled migrants who tried to enter Ceuta illegally.

As reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Saturday, August 1, local media Ceuta Actualidad reported the formation of a WhatsApp group called "Viva España" which now has more than 800 members.

According to the media report, a number of group members proposed to make a movement and "beat the migrants with sticks".

President of the Andalusian Party Dris Mohamed told the radio station Cadena SER that a group of young people were caught beating people who had just entered Ceuta.

He also condemned the self-judgement, although on the other hand he also understood the anxiety of the local residents.

The radio station also reported that a number of shops were forced to temporarily close for security reasons.

Both national and regional police have deployed officers in various locations to prevent theft and riots, amid the growing fear and tension of residents.

Previously, the Mayor of Ceuta Juan Jesus Vivas stated that around 60 thousand people from Morocco had entered Ceuta in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the newspaper El Pais reported that the number of migrants who died while trying to cross into Ceuta reached 57 people.