Why is Ceuta a migration flashpoint and how were so many people able to cross from Morocco?

An estimated 50,000 people attempted the journey to the Spanish territory in chaotic and dangerous scenes that resulted in dozens of deaths Border controls between Morocco and the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta appeared to break down in the past week, allowing tens of thousands of people to cross on to the Spanish side in chaotic and dangerous scenes that resulted in dozens of deaths. The number of arrivals was more than two-thirds the size of the ordinary population in Ceuta, where a humanitarian crisis was playing out on Friday. Spanish officials said on Monday that an estimated 69,500 people who had arrived late last week in Ceuta had returned to Morocco. As of Monday, about 2,500 people who had made the crossing were believed to still be in Ceuta. Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory 400km (250 miles) to the east along north Africa’s Mediterranean coast, constitute the EU’s only land borders with Africa. In Spanish possession since 1580, Ceuta is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, while its Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers live in relative harmony. Morocco does not officially recognise Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territories and often