Yesterday and today, Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta was hit by one of the largest single migrant surges in recent European memory.
Thousands of people (Spanish Interior Ministry figures later put the total who crossed or attempted to cross since Thursday morning around 50,000) poured in from Morocco. Many swam around the border fence. Reception centers for unaccompanied minors hit 2,400% of capacity. Local authorities declared a humanitarian and social emergency. At least nine people died in the water. Spain deployed military units to back up the Civil Guard. Morocco cooperated on rapid returns, and tens of thousands were already turned back by Friday.
President Trump addressed it during a cabinet meeting at Camp David. Here are the key lines:
- “I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country… hundreds of thousands of people.”
- “That same thing’s going to happen to us if the Republicans don’t get elected, except worse. Much bigger… our country will be invaded at levels that made Spain look small time.”
- “They’re coming in by the tens of thousands. They’re just invading the country… weak law, bad management, but very liberal law… That will look good compared to what’s going to happen to the United States.”
