Independent journalist Nick Shirley has just returned from Spain after an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Moroccans surged into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week, a wave many attribute to lax border policies and a recent high court ruling that essentially functioned as a de facto open invitation to African migrants. Here's what he saw.

The influx began last Thursday, with videos circulating of thousands, mostly military-age men, sprinting across the border and swimming around barriers into Spanish territory. Shirley was on the ground Sunday to document the aftermath: migrants defacing Spanish graves, causing fear amongst locals, confronting his team, and, in one alarming incident, chasing him and a crew member with a knife.

Footage also shows numerous migrants explicitly thanking Spain’s left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for “letting them in,” telling Shirley that both Moroccan and Spanish authorities effectively opened the door. Local residents, meanwhile, described fears of looting and attempted break-ins as the surge overwhelmed the Spanish enclave. 

The crisis extends far beyond Spain. As an EU member, Spain is part of the Schengen free-movement zone, which allows people to travel across most European countries without internal border checks. That prospect has alarmed other member states, with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling the influx a direct threat to European security and pushing to suspend free-movement rules in response. 

Sánchez has insisted the situation is under control, as his administration claimed that by Friday, nearly 40,000 of the 60,000-plus who entered illegally had already been returned to their home country.

Recommended
Rand Paul Just Made a Major Move Against Fauci After Senate Hearing Jeff Charles Justice Department Explains Why It's Monitoring Elections in Michigan Cameron Arcand