The Spanish government has taken control of the port of Ceuta to host more than a thousand migrants who arrived in the autonomous city in recent days. The decision was made in a context of intense migratory pressure on Spain's southern border.
The measure significantly increases the tension between Madrid and the local executive. The authorities of the autonomous city had been requesting more resources and support from the central government to deal with the massive migratory flow.
This is the first time the central executive has intervened directly in the port during the current migration crisis. The intervention represents unprecedented control over the port infrastructure of Ceuta.
More than a thousand migrants are believed to have arrived in Ceuta in a short period of time, overwhelming the response capacity of local authorities and creating a humanitarian emergency situation in the Spanish enclave on Moroccan territory.
