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| Look at all the women and children [Adri Salido image] |
Europe's borders are not mere lines on a map; they are the front line of civilization.
The latest death toll in Spain's border crisis at Ceuta has climbed to 67, according to the Spanish government. Some victims drowned attempting the crossing, while others were killed in the desperate crush of a human stampede at the breakwater barrier. It is a grim reminder that when governments surrender control of their borders, tragedy inevitably follows.
In response to the unprecedented breach, Spain announced it will install a 500 meter containment barrier extending into the sea after an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants overwhelmed the tiny Spanish enclave's frontier between Thursday and Friday. That's like closing the barn door after the horses escaped.
On Saturday morning, a handful of exhausted migrants who swam to Ceuta's Tarajal Beach were met by Spanish soldiers and escorted back across the border. Spain's Interior Ministry said that most of those who entered the North African territory have already been returned to Morocco.
After days of disorder, Ceuta's streets have grown quieter. But calm is not the same as security.
"Life in this city has been disrupted as a result of the border incident," said Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas.
"The return of people has begun satisfactorily but the process must be completed," he said. "The city has not yet returned to normal."
That final sentence deserves far more attention than it will receive. A nation can restore traffic, reopen shops, and clear its streets, yet still suffer lasting damage to public confidence. Citizens who watch tens of thousands of people overwhelm a border in a matter of hours cannot easily be persuaded that their government remains fully in control.
Across the border in Tangier, Morocco, migrants who had either returned from Ceuta or failed to reach Europe slept on the floor of the city's main railway station. Many had gone days without food. Others remained determined to try again.
After days of disorder, Ceuta's streets have grown quieter. But calm is not the same as security.
"Life in this city has been disrupted as a result of the border incident," said Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas.
"The return of people has begun satisfactorily but the process must be completed," he said. "The city has not yet returned to normal."
That final sentence deserves far more attention than it will receive. A nation can restore traffic, reopen shops, and clear its streets, yet still suffer lasting damage to public confidence. Citizens who watch tens of thousands of people overwhelm a border in a matter of hours cannot easily be persuaded that their government remains fully in control.
Across the border in Tangier, Morocco, migrants who had either returned from Ceuta or failed to reach Europe slept on the floor of the city's main railway station. Many had gone days without food. Others remained determined to try again.
Boo freaking hoo.
"I tried to cross, but I failed. I stayed near the border with Ceuta for two days, but I couldn't find anything to eat," said Abdalah, an aspiring jihadi, who withheld his surname for fear of retaliation after attempting to enter Spain illegally.
Meanwhile, along the road to the Moroccan town of Fnideq, streams of migrants continued walking toward the border fence, some barefoot, apparently preparing for another attempt. Taxi drivers and bus operators refused to transport them, fearing retaliation from Moroccan authorities, while police established checkpoints to inspect every vehicle headed toward the frontier.
Yet many Islamic invaders who succeeded in reaching Ceuta made clear they had no intention of leaving voluntarily.
"They've closed everything down so that we can't buy anything to eat, to force us to return to our country," said 23 year old Moroccan illegal alien jihadi Mohamed Hatri.
"But even if they close it down ... we're round to stay here, whether we're hungry or not."
That declaration captures the central dilemma confronting Europe.
"I tried to cross, but I failed. I stayed near the border with Ceuta for two days, but I couldn't find anything to eat," said Abdalah, an aspiring jihadi, who withheld his surname for fear of retaliation after attempting to enter Spain illegally.
Meanwhile, along the road to the Moroccan town of Fnideq, streams of migrants continued walking toward the border fence, some barefoot, apparently preparing for another attempt. Taxi drivers and bus operators refused to transport them, fearing retaliation from Moroccan authorities, while police established checkpoints to inspect every vehicle headed toward the frontier.
Yet many Islamic invaders who succeeded in reaching Ceuta made clear they had no intention of leaving voluntarily.
"They've closed everything down so that we can't buy anything to eat, to force us to return to our country," said 23 year old Moroccan illegal alien jihadi Mohamed Hatri.
"But even if they close it down ... we're round to stay here, whether we're hungry or not."
That declaration captures the central dilemma confronting Europe.
Compassion alone cannot substitute for sovereignty. Every nation has a moral obligation to preserve life, but it also has a fundamental duty to determine who enters its territory and under what conditions. A border that exists only on paper soon ceases to exist at all.
The events in Ceuta should also serve as a warning to every Western democracy.
The events in Ceuta should also serve as a warning to every Western democracy.
Spain's crisis is not uniquely Spanish. It is a glimpse of what any nation can face if it convinces the world that its borders are negotiable rather than enforceable. Once the expectation spreads that illegal entry will ultimately be rewarded, the incentives become overwhelming, the humanitarian costs multiply, and public trust begins to erode.
Other Western nations would do well to learn this lesson before finding themselves confronting the same crisis on their own shores.
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