EFE.- Spain deported 7,500 of the 8,000 people who entered the North African border city of Ceuta irregularly, mainly by swimming, to Morocco, the Spanish Government reported this Sunday.
The number increased by 500 since yesterday, including those Moroccan migrants who voluntarily return to their country.
This massive arrival in Ceuta from Morocco, including some 800 minors, exacerbated the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, caused by the entry into Spain of the leader of the independentist Saharawi Frente Polisario, Brahim Ghali, to receive medical attention in a hospital.
However, Spain and Morocco reached an agreement for the return of the migrants.
The border remains calm in Ceuta today, although the Spanish Police have increased controls in mountainous areas where there is evidence of illegal settlements, as there are still dozens of Moroccans in the city who refuse to return.
Melilla, the other Spanish city in North Africa, continues to suffer from the migratory pressure of recent days.
Last morning, 70 Moroccans were prevented from jumping over the border fence thanks to the reinforcement of security in the Spanish and Moroccan areas, where work is being done on the containment and deterrence of migrants.
The sudden influx of migrants who came swimming to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, in North Africa, constitutes a serious crisis for Europe, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, said last Tuesday, although Spain and Morocco gave signs of wanting to appease a situation tense.
Spain deployed soldiers in Ceuta to patrol the border with Morocco after up to 6,000 migrants, including some 1,500 minors, entered the enclave on Monday and Tuesday swimming or climbing the fence.
