'Risk to safety...': US issues Cueta travel advisory amid massive migrant crisis

The US State Department on Saturday (Aug 2) updated its travel advisory for Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta to Level 3 amid latest migrant crisis. The Level 3 upgarde means that the US has asked its citizens to “reconsider” traveling to the area. Tens of thousands of migrants surged into the Spanish territory from neighboring Morocco, prompting a major security response. The updated advisory warns that the "massive and uncontrolled arrival of migrants from Morocco to Ceuta may lead to unpredictable and dangerous security situations."

Also Read: Ceuta migrant crisis: 67 dead as Spain says most migrants return to Morocco

“Spain has deployed the Spanish military, Spanish National Police, and Guardia Civil as a result of this serious situation. Americans should reconsider travel to the area given the risks posed to their safety and security,” the advisory states. The advisory applies only to Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city on the northern coast of Africa that borders Morocco. The rest of Spain remains under its existing travel advisory level. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said that the advisory was updated in response to what he described as the “mass invasion of tens of thousands of illegal migrants.” "This invasion is the direct result of the Spanish government's refusal to secure its borders and defend its people — and now threatens the security of Europe," Johnson said in a statement to Fox News Digital." The United States stands with the Spanish people and all European peoples in defense of their sovereignty."

Also Read: Inside Ceuta’s chaos: Tiny Spanish enclave at the centre of Europe’s border crisis | WION Decodes

What's the migrant crisis in Cueta?

In an unprecedented surge, thousands of people from Morocco crossed into Cueta, triggering an international crisis for Spain. While it was not clear why this happened now, one possible reason is being attributed to Spain's Supreme Court ruling on July 8 that migrants arriving by sea should not be returned as quickly as others. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country would boost the presence of security forces in Ceuta, deploy a physical sea barrier to help facilitate repatriations and continue working with Moroccan authorities to combat human trafficking networks. The numbers of those arriving in Cueta is being estimated as 60,000 and though the situation is under control now with migrants returning to Morocco, at least 67 people died during the dangerous sea crossings.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni temporarily suspended Italy’s visa-free Schengen agreement with Spain for one month and Germany announced it is extending its internal Schengen border checks past September to curb unauthorized entries