ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
In Spain, the death toll in Ceuta on the border with Morocco has risen to at least 67 as authorities continue to rescue bodies from the sea. Images of tens of thousands of migrants crossing from Morocco into this small Spanish territory in Northern Africa circulated around the world on Thursday. On Saturday, though, the Spanish government declared the situation under control. NPR's Miguel Macias has been following this and joins us from Seville, Spain. Hey, Miguel.
MIGUEL MACIAS, BYLINE: Hi, Rob.
SCHMITZ: So, Miguel, it's hard to imagine things are under control in Ceuta after the intense images we saw over the last couple of days. What's the Spanish government saying?
MACIAS: Well, the Spanish interior minister spoke today and said the army had been mobilized and things were under control in 24 hours, basically. The ministry also said it's begun installing a 500-meter-long floating barrier to extend the seawater that separates Ceuta and Morocco. Many of the migrants entered Thursday by swimming around the breakwater in the Mediterranean. And according to the government, most of the 50- to 60,000 people who entered the country have gone back to Morocco. And they mostly did it on their own will.
SCHMITZ: And, you know, that was stunning footage. Now, you're in Seville, but you spoke with some people in Ceuta. What did they tell you about what happened?
MACIAS: Yes, I spoke to Teresa Pardo, who's 28 years old and was born in Ceuta, which, by the way, is a really small, only 7 square miles territory. She told me that the moment she saw thousands of people gathered on the other side of the border, she knew something was not normal about the situation.
TERESA PARDO: (Non-English language spoken).
MACIAS: She says Spaniards in Ceuta feel abandoned by their government. She says they felt panic on Thursday.
PARDO: (Non-English language spoken).
MACIAS: She says Spanish law enforcement was completely overwhelmed and missing from the streets. She didn't see soldiers around until last night.
SCHMITZ: So do we know what prompted tens of thousands of people to suddenly cross that border?
MACIAS: We don't, Rob. Spain needs Morocco's help in controlling migration from Northern Africa. And Morocco has usually been an ally when it comes to the border. But I spoke to Riccardo Fabiani. He's a project director for North Africa for the International Crisis Group. He says, there is evidence that Moroccan security forces were involved in this crisis.
RICCARDO FABIANI: We have testimonies by some Moroccans who crossed into Ceuta. We have videos circulating online showing trucks full of people unloading them in front of, you know, complicit Moroccan police forces.
MACIAS: Now, the Kingdom of Morocco doesn't normally comment publicly, but Morocco's ambassador to Spain told the Associated Press that what happened in Ceuta had unfolded against Morocco's wishes. She said, quote, "we have always prioritized legal, orderly and safe migration for all."
SCHMITZ: So have there been any political repercussions for Spain?
MACIAS: Yes, this has created a bit of a diplomatic crisis, actually. After the images from Ceuta on Thursday, some European Union leaders called that what they see as Spain's loose immigration policy and said that Ceuta is proof that the EU needs to be tough on immigration. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent a letter calling out some of his European counterparts for, quote, "attacking Spain." Italy's Giorgia Meloni followed that with a letter signed by 22 EU countries calling for an emergency meeting of interior ministers to discuss the border situation in Ceuta and take immediate action to control Europe's external borders.
SCHMITZ: That is NPR's Miguel Macias. Miguel, thank you.
MACIAS: Thank you.
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