4 facts to know about Ceuta, the Spanish border city in Africa

Since July 30, the Spanish city of Ceuta has become the epicenter of one of the most significant border crises driven by migratory pressure in recent decades , as at least 70,000 people swam illegally into Spanish territory.

Below are four facts that can help shed light on the scale of the crisis.

1. It is a Spanish territory on the North African coast. Ceuta is a Spanish city located on the North African coast , at the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar. Together with the city of Melilla, it forms the European Unionʼs only land border with Africa and is a point of critical geopolitical importance.

Conquered by Portugal in 1415, it became part of Spain under the 1668 Treaty of Lisbon. Morocco claims that both Ceuta and Melilla belong to its territory, even though both were Spanish outposts before Morocco existed as a nation.

2. It is a multicultural society. Ceuta has a registered population of over 80,000. The majority are Spanish nationals of diverse backgrounds. In addition to a Catholic majority, some 35,000 people practice Islam, and there are also significant Jewish and Hindu communities.

Most of the city’s foreign population, which accounts for 6% of the…