As debate rages about responsibility for the massive influx of illegal immigrants into Ceuta, a Spanish city on the North African coast, defenders of Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s hard-left prime minister, have been stressing the speed with which the would-be migrants left Ceuta. Stop complaining Ceutans! Being swamped for a day is not that bad!

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Occasional reports that rather more of the migrants had remained in Ceuta than subsequent “mission accomplished” hosannas suggested were dismissed as disinformation/fake news and so on.

Under the circumstances, it was interesting to read some of the details contained in this new Reuters story:

Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain’s North African ​enclave of Ceuta on Monday as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush ‌last week.

Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain’s North African ​enclave of Ceuta on Monday as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush ‌last week.

To be clear, the vast number (seemingly close to 70,000 people rather than the 50,000 that was originally cited) of those who did cross into the Spanish city (which has a population of around 80,000) have returned to Morocco. Judging by the Reuters report, they did so because they found themselves stuck. While Ceuta is in the EU and the Schengen “free movement” zone, its membership of the latter comes, as the Spanish foreign ministry explains, with a twist:

Ceuta and Melilla are subject to a specific Schengen regime, unique in Europe: Schengen checks are carried out on exit by sea or air, the only two routes available. Therefore, no one can travel from Ceuta or Melilla to mainland Spain without being identified by the National Police at the port or the........

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