Morocco ‘helped 60,000 migrants overrun Spain border in revenge plot’ before brave locals ‘chased them away with guns’

MOROCCO helped facilitate 60,000 migrants overrun a Spanish enclave as diplomatic revenge, Western intelligence sources believe. People arriving in Ceuta by sea were chased away by locals with guns as the North African city descended into chaos. Migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco may have been helped by their government Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere Around 60,000 stormed the borders of a Spanish enclave, sparking chaos and terrifying locals Credit: AFP via Getty Images Moroccan police reportedly encouraged migrants to cross, before joining efforts to stem the flow Credit: AFP Spain have sent their army in to deal with the crisis Credit: Getty Nearly 50,000 are understood to have returned to Morocco in just a day as shops and restaurants keep their shutters down out of fear. It has since been suggested that Moroccan officials allowed the migrants to storm Ceuta due to tensions with Pedro Sánchez. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! They are said to be annoyed by the Spanish prime minister’s pursuit of gas deals with neighbouring Algeria. Several Moroccans have said they were encouraged to cross the border by authorities. Youssef Alaoui, 26, told The New York Times that police pointed them in the direction of Ceuta. He said: “They just kept saying: ‘Go that way, go that way’.” Mohammed Ahmidho, 37, said he heard about people crossing on social media and that police told him “come to Spain” as he neared the border. Morocco allowed 8,000 migrants into Ceuta in 2021 following a row with Madrid over its claims to the disputed Western Sahara territory. Most read in The Sun Migrants arrived in Ceuta by sea to avoid immediate explusion Credit: Getty The crisis has prompted Italy to suspend its free-travel pact with Spain Credit: AP Migrants gather around a torched vehicle while waiting for a chance to cross to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta Credit: Reuters At least 60 people have died attempting to reach the enclave over the last 48 hours, either by drowning or being crushed at the border fence. Terrified locals have had to contend with migrants appearing to break into homes in Ceuta and cars being set alight on the Melilla border. Europe has since been plunged into crisis, with leaders threatening to suspend free movement with Spain. Italy has been the first to act – suspending its EU Schengen free-travel deal with the country. The Schengen agreement is a treaty that allows passport-free travel across 29 European countries. Finland backed calls for the Mediterranean country to be booted from the pact while France introduced stricter border measures. Spain’s soft-touch Supreme Court has come under fire and blamed for the recent numbers being so high. A ruling stated that migrants who arrive by sea should not be subject to immediate expulsion as they are not crossing a physical land border. Young men are arrested after attempting to storm the Bab Sebta border crossing near Fnideq, Morocco Credit: EPA Moroccan security forces stand next to a destroyed car as they disperse people Credit: AP Thousands of migrants slept on Ceuta’s streets Credit: Getty Around 50,000 have returned to Morocco after realising their chances of obtaining legal status in Spain are unlikely Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images The decision has been exploited by people-smuggling gangs and brought with it a wave of undocumented migration. Sánchez was jeered by locals as he arrived in Ceuta to brand the incident an “attack” and a “violation of the territorial integrity of Spain“. His socialist government stands out for its pro-migration stance. It has recently received a huge influx of applications after launching a scheme to provide legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants. Moroccan forces beat back crowds with batons and tear gas at the gates to Ceuta on Friday – trying to prevent more from storming across into the tiny Spanish territory. Water cannon trucks were deployed and the charred remains of a bus and seven cars could be seen from clashes – while Spanish military vehicles lined up on the other side. Video near the border crossing showed one man wearing Lycra carrying a bike with him in the water alongside hundreds of other migrants rushing to the shore. Chaos on the beaches of Ceuta, which has a population of under 84,000, spread to the streets as police and local officials struggled to contain the surging numbers. Some were heard shouting “Long live Spain!” as they dried off in the city. Shocking reports claim several locals suffered from attempted break-ins at their homes as footage captured multiple alleged incidents. One shows a man climbing up a ladder as two others hold it still around what appears to be smashed glass from a first floor window. A second seemingly shows dozens of migrants bundling into a small home and pushing through the tight entrance. It is unclear if the home was occupied at the time or why so many people were trying to cram inside. Footage appeared to show dozens of migrants looting a supermarket as cops tried to disperse the crowd and sent the group fleeing down the street. Enrique Serrano, who runs a women’s clothing store in central Ceuta, said he is being forced to shut up shop due to the fear of violence. He said: “I’m not opening because the situation is extremely tense. The first thing I have to do is protect my business and my family.” Another local resident told Spanish TV that shops and other commercial establishments including banks were “shut and locked up”: They said: “This is like something out of a film. There’s a load of people here from Morocco and Ceuta can’t cope. “We want to get money out of the bank and we can’t because all the cash machines are blocked. “We had enough to live on for two or three days but we’ve spent what we had and we can’t access any more money. Fights are breaking out in the city. It’s very worrying. “I’ve bought tickets to leave Ceuta on the 3.30pm ferry to Algeciras to be able to eat and buy food and access cash but I’m still not sure what to do.” Comment now