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49,000 migrants invade Spanish enclave in 24 hours

(335 Posts)
Primrose53 Fri 31-Jul-26 09:19:20

news.sky.com/story/thousands-of-migrants-from-morocco-enter-spanish-enclave-of-ceuta-as-locals-demand-army-restore-border-13568466

Mainly from Morocco and Algeria.

petra Tue 04-Aug-26 09:53:22

Wyllow3

That is really intriguing, petra. I wish we had confirmation from our security forces.

I’ve a sneaky feeling that’s not the sort of info our security services broadcast.

fancythat Tue 04-Aug-26 09:40:33

Successive governments sought to save on defence with the result we now need to invest

There wasnt a whole heap of public will about investing, either.
Which certainly did not help.

Iam64 Tue 04-Aug-26 09:37:36

Successive governments sought to save on defence with the result we now need to invest
Short term savings in public services always cause poor services needing investment

greyfur Tue 04-Aug-26 09:16:50

Oreo

If we had a better stronger Navy the Russians wouldn’t be playing these games with us.
The UK only has itself to blame.

So the UK should beef up its' armed forces to repell the Russians?

That'll work.

Wyllow3 Tue 04-Aug-26 08:11:27

That is really intriguing, petra. I wish we had confirmation from our security forces.

petra Tue 04-Aug-26 07:31:27

This might be true, or it might not, who knows 🤷‍♀️

www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/07/31/8046738/

Maremia Tue 04-Aug-26 07:02:50

Only Putin is to blame for Putin's aggression.

Wyllow3 Mon 03-Aug-26 22:59:16

Well it's a bid for the upcoming Clacton election, and likely connected to today's news that Tice is also being investigated.

Ooo look at the squirrel.

So obvious.

It's no different from what they have been claiming they can do for ages.

And cannot.

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 22:06:07

Daft idea for Reform to divert RN vessels then to intercepting small plastic dinghies and weaken UK naval defence then!

Oreo Mon 03-Aug-26 21:30:12

If we had a better stronger Navy the Russians wouldn’t be playing these games with us.
The UK only has itself to blame.

Iam64 Mon 03-Aug-26 20:46:13

Yes and threatening a retired couple sailing their yacht

petra Mon 03-Aug-26 20:31:15

Iam64

petra

nanna8

I was wondering if Putin even gives a rats about the UK. I think he is all self self self.

He very much gives a rat about the uk. What do you think all those young English speaking Russians are doing all day tapping away online.
Why do you think GCHQ employ young Russian speaking tech boffins. They arnt playing sonic the hedgehog.

Without doubt, the Russians continue to undermine our country. There no longer appesrs to be doubt Putin’s threat to flood Europe with asylum seekers can be dismissed. Not to forget Brexit

Never dismiss the power of states committed to destroying what it sees as a threat

Obviously the Russian shenanigans in the Chanel and North Sea didn’t make the news in Australia.
Then there is the games they play with our nuclear subs.

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 20:00:09

Spain was able to return the majority because of the returns agreements they have in place with Morocco. The Uk does not have any such returns agreements in place.

What forceful action would you like a uk government to take? What do you think of Reform UK Operation Fortress plans? Forceful enough for you? Do you think Op F will work in context of legal, naval and French Government response to Farage today?

faringdon59 Mon 03-Aug-26 19:32:39

It was indeed a mass invasion and Spain has dealt with it very quickly.
Many people seemed to be unaware that had this enclave down there attached to Morocco!
If only our government would take more forceful action over the channel crossings.
Sadly we are paying France huge eyewatering amounts of money to monitor and supposedly prevent these crossings. But in reality they are letting it happen. In fact they have no more concerns about people making these dangerous crossings than the people smugglers.

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 19:22:29

Meanwhile response to Operation Fortress:

1) Senior naval figures and the French authorities dismissed Reform’s plans to use military vessels to stop small boats crossing the Channel, saying the proposals “lacked substance” and amounted to a “violation of maritime law and international law”.

2) A French official has responded to that Reform UK Operation Fortress plans would be “unacceptable”. The [French] government would clearly not expect a key ally such as the UK to infringe on territory or waters without consent the official said.

3) On the not insignificant hurdle of the French authorities not agreeing to allow the Royal Navy to dump people on their shores- Reform’s spokesperson for home affairs, Zia Yusuf has said today: “If the French disagree, what will end up happening is we’ll end up having something of an argument with the French

4) Yusef claimed that French authorities refusing to allow people to disembark on its shores would be a crime against humanity. Yusuf added This is a boat full of innocent civilians who are being rescued as part of a humanitarian mission

5) However Yusef did not explain how his party’s policy of refusing to allow any to make it safely to the UK’s shores would not constitute the same crime against humanity

8) Yusuf claimed Reform had sought legal opinion that its plan would be lawful, saying it would define people making the Channel crossing by irregular means as being in distress at sea – obliging the navy to rescue them. He said his party would also tell French they must abide by obligations under international law to process those people’s asylum claims “because it is a safe country”. Yusef did not explain what Reform’s stance would be if France simply said the same to the UK in response

Iam64 Mon 03-Aug-26 19:06:00

petra

nanna8

I was wondering if Putin even gives a rats about the UK. I think he is all self self self.

He very much gives a rat about the uk. What do you think all those young English speaking Russians are doing all day tapping away online.
Why do you think GCHQ employ young Russian speaking tech boffins. They arnt playing sonic the hedgehog.

Without doubt, the Russians continue to undermine our country. There no longer appesrs to be doubt Putin’s threat to flood Europe with asylum seekers can be dismissed. Not to forget Brexit

Never dismiss the power of states committed to destroying what it sees as a threat

petra Mon 03-Aug-26 18:35:15

nanna8

I was wondering if Putin even gives a rats about the UK. I think he is all self self self.

He very much gives a rat about the uk. What do you think all those young English speaking Russians are doing all day tapping away online.
Why do you think GCHQ employ young Russian speaking tech boffins. They arnt playing sonic the hedgehog.

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 18:19:02

Ceuta/Spain has bi lateral agreements with Morocco for returns due to their land borders- the only reason once a diplomatic conversation began that Spain were able to return the majority.

Uk left the EU as a result of Brexit referendum so we have no such bilateral agreements in place- big difference.

88 bodies in the morgue RIP.

Galaxy Mon 03-Aug-26 17:03:28

Probably the same as I think about the progressives Maizie D who swallow every slogan known to man, or woman!

Casdon Mon 03-Aug-26 16:50:04

Another thing I noticed in the Guardian article was that the Moroccan police were not letting people from the rest of the African continent through, only Moroccans. The surmising about it being a political statement of displeasure, encouraged by the government, towards Spain rings more true to me now.

greyfur Mon 03-Aug-26 16:38:54

“There were so many people in the sea. Everyone was trying to grab on to you to save themselves, and you were trying to escape and move forward so they wouldn’t drag you down or drown you. The Moroccan police were pushing us toward the water and telling us ‘swim, swim’.”

From The Guardian.

88 bodies in the morgue. Children missing.

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 16:28:33

Iam64- agree with everything you say 👍

Iam64 Mon 03-Aug-26 16:10:46

Thanks LemonJam and others for setting out the legal position surrounding Farage’s latest nonsense.
Our Royal Marines and Navy would not be part of his illegal proposals

On the issue of the definition of far right, it’s outlandish to lump the idea that stable families are best for children with the dangerous and inaccurate suggestion it includes denigrating single parents or fathers

Also wanting safe and appropriate responses to asylum seekers doesn’t mean leaving your front door open 🙈

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 15:49:02

Farage would have to win a GE first- not looking likely at the moment.

But even if he did he hasn't got a rat's chance in making this proposal work.

LemonJam Mon 03-Aug-26 15:47:14

The threat Russia poses to the UK is real, rising and at its highest level since the Cold War according to UK Security Services nanna8.

Reckless Russian naval and aerial manoeuvres, hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, critical infrastructure sabotage, physical and military proximity etc..

Moscow relentlessly targets British democratic processes, supply chains and public trust via coordinated online disinformation and frequent cyber operations.

Putin may be self, self, self, but that does not stop his expansionist ambitions or his nefarious activities.