In the span of 24 hours, around 60,000 immigrants crossed the border between Spain and Morocco, making their way into the Spanish exclave Ceuta (population 83,500). This is not the first such migration wave, but its size and speed are unprecedented. This mass arrival is the direct consequence of Spain bucking the European trend of restricting immigration, and it’s quickly turning Spain into a pariah in the European Union.
The most immediate cause behind this immigration tsunami is a ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court three weeks ago that restricted so-called hot returns, or turning immigrants away at the border. The greatest change is that everyone who arrived by swimming or by boat must have his case processed individually instead of being immediately turned away, a process that can take months to years. As in the United States, many disappear during the processing and are long gone by the time their applications have been rejected.
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