Spain returns 2,700 illegal migrants to Morocco

The Spanish authorities deported 2,700 illegal migrants to Morocco who since May 17 have entered Ceuta, an autonomous city located on the northern coast of Africa, Spanish Interior Ministry chief Fernando Grande-Marlaska said at a press conference on May 18, Report informs referring to TASS.

“To date, 2,700 people, who illegally entered our country, have been returned,” the minister said. “Ceuta is same Spain as Madrid or Barcelona. We will [act] decisively to protect our borders,” the minister added. He noted that the army has been mobilized in the city. The authorities also sent additional 200 police officers to Ceuta to help resolve the situation.

In turn, the official representative of the Spanish government, Maria Jesus Montero, called on the country’s residents to calm down. She also spoke out against ‘xenophobic messages’ regarding migrants.

On May 17, about 6,000 illegal migrants floated into the territory of Ceuta from Morocco. The number of migrants arriving during the day was a record high for Spain. According to local media reports, now illegal migrants continue to arrive in Ceuta. In addition, on May 18, about a hundred migrants also entered the autonomous city of Melilla, located on the Mediterranean coast of Africa.