Ceuta Border Crisis

Roughly 60,000 Moroccan migrants swam or jumped fences to reach Ceuta, a small Spanish territory in northern Africa, on Thursday.

The surge overwhelmed Ceuta (population: 84,000), leaving tens of thousands of migrants to crowd the streets looking for food and water. Madrid deployed troops to re-secure the border, and Spanish authorities reported “almost all” of the migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco by Saturday.

At least 72 people died while crossing.

The breach followed Spain’s Supreme Court ruling that migrants stopped at sea trying to reach Spain’s North African territories cannot be deported without a hearing, and has poured gasoline on the already-heated immigration debate raging across Europe. EU leaders who see Spain as “soft on immigration” were quick to criticize, while Spain says the crisis was contained and quickly handled.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Christians live as strangers and exiles in our home countries, whether that temporary home is peaceful, disorderly, or somewhere in between. Seek the good of the land you’re passing through while eagerly anticipating the advent of your permanent home.

“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: ‘Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.’”
Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NLT) (read full passage)