Spain's Civil Guard Escorts Migrants to Moroccan Border in New Expulsion Tactic

CEUTA, Spain — The Civil Guard on Wednesday began escorting migrants on foot to the Moroccan border in small groups, a new tactic to expel the roughly 6,000 people that the local government says are still "wandering" the Spanish enclave. Witnessed by EL MUNDO, agents rounded up young Moroccans on the beach near the Tarajal crossing and marched them toward Morocco, though most broke free and ran back. One young man was forced through the border after guards shouted "yallah, yallah" ("go, go" in Arabic).

The operation replaces the military trucks used earlier, when the Legion transported migrants, some of whom pleaded and tried to escape. Ceuta's president, Juan Jesús Vivas (PP), claims 80,000 people entered during last week's avalanche — 8,000 more than the Interior Ministry's count — and that 73,000 have returned, while Madrid says 72,000 entered and 70,000 left. Vivas, who said the city remains "overwhelmed" and "with its soul in suspense, criticized the government's response as "late and insufficient" and demanded an exact count of remaining migrants, asking, "How is it possible that we still don't have the exact number?