Moroccans, Algerians and Syrians were among between 60 and 100 migrants who reportedly crossed into Ceuta between Sunday evening and the early hours of Tuesday, according to local media reports.

"Many of them were injured by hitting rocks, others by dog attacks and the vast majority from cold," El Faro de Ceuta reported on Tuesday (February 27). A Red Cross unit attended to the arrivals at Benzú beach on the Spanish side of the border. A large number of the migrants have applied for asylum, according to the news site.

Videos of the crossing show migrants battling the current, the waves forcing them back onto the rocks. One of the swimmers lies collapsed on his back, visibly exhausted.

The 23 unaccompanied minors among the arrivals were taken into the care of state child protection services and transferred to La Esperanza reception center, while the adults were taken to police headquarters to be identified.

Just a week ago, 57 young Moroccans made the same journey. Images in the Spanish media showed those migrants, some wearing flippers, arriving exhausted at Benzú beach. Having reached the sand, some collapse, worn out from swimming through rough waters.

Also read: Why nearly 6,000 migrants were able to enter Spain's Ceuta enclave in one single day

Ceuta arrivals down in 2023

The recent arrivals contrast with the situation in 2023, when the number of people at the migrant reception center (CETI) in Ceuta dropped to 1,093, the lowest since 2010, excluding the pandemic. The center has a maximum capacity of 512. According to Europa Press, it currently hosts 250 sub-Saharan, Algerian and Moroccan migrants.

Last week, local politician Alberto Gaitán called for the use of all appropriate and legal means to prevent the entry of migrants into the territory, according to a statement on the website of the City Government. He added that the stay of migrants in Ceuta is limited by the capacity of the reception centers.

Ceuta’s mayor Juan Jesús Vivas has since appealed to the Spanish interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to try to stop the migrant arrivals from Morocco, the news site Ceuta Ahora reported on Tuesday.

The government of Pedro Sanchez plans to invest 5.6 million euros in improvements to the reception center in Ceuta, including refurbishing eight accommodation blocks and building an annex for emergencies. This building will replace the military barracks when there is an influx of people, as was the case in 2017 and 2018.

Hot returns

The two Spanish enclaves in Morocco, Melilla and Ceuta, share the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Migrants from Morocco and other African countries regularly try to cross into the Spanish territories.

As it is practically impossible to access border posts to apply for protection, the migrants have no option but to try to climb the border fences or to swim around barriers in the sea. Dozens of people have died or gone missing. Others have been prosecuted, or forced back to Morocco.

Also read: Spain opens inquiry into Ceuta migrant pushbacks

Since 2005, Spain has implemented a policy of automatic expulsion to Morocco from the two enclaves. These so-called "hot returns" were declared legal in 2015.

Last month, ten years after a major pushback operation by the Guardia Civil on Ceuta’s El Tarajal beach, a complaint was filed at the UN against Spain for violations of the Convention Against Torture. It was brought by Ludovic N., a Cameroonian national who was 15 years old when he joined about 400 migrants trying to swim to Ceuta. At least 15 people died, and many more were injured in the incident.

With InfoMigrants French

Also read: 'Hot returns': Are pushbacks at Europe's land borders lawful?