Hundreds of migrants attempt to swim from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta
LA TimesMigrants disembark at the port of “La Estaca” in Valverde on the Canary island of El Hierro, Spain, on Monday. Thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the border from Morocco to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in the last few days, including hundreds of youths who tried to swim their way around controls, Spanish authorities said Monday. Cristina Pérez, the Spanish government’s representative in Ceuta, told journalists Monday that since Aug. 22 an average of 700 people had attempted to breach the border daily, with a peak of 1,500 attempts Sunday. Pérez did not disclose how many had successfully reached Ceuta but Pérez explained that following Spanish law that allowed for “border rejections” authorities were sending back to Morocco between 150 and 200 people a day. She thanked Moroccan authorities for their “loyal cooperation.” Ceuta and Melilla — two tiny Spanish territories in North Africa bordering the Mediterranean — have long been targeted by migrants and refugees seeking better lives in Europe.