Burnham's migrant gamble: Thousands stranded in Ceuta to be brought to UK

Three weeks ago, a mass border crossing saw around 80,000 migrants surge into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.

While the majority have since returned to Morocco voluntarily, thousands remain stranded in the tiny territory, living in makeshift camps in squalid conditions as they wait for a chance to reach mainland Europe.

Now Prime Minister Andy Burnham has proposed bringing up to 4,000 of those still in Ceuta to Britain, with the first arrivals expected as early as the first week of September. Burnham has previously called the situation a ‘humanitarian crisis’ that demands an urgent response, insisting that Britain is ‘ready to assist.’ Under the plan, the migrants would be housed in London hotels that the government has labelled “secure spaces” for asylum seekers.

The move comes as tensions continue to rise in Ceuta. On August 16, hundreds of migrants staged a protest in the enclave demanding asylum. The demonstration followed fresh social media calls for another mass crossing, raising fears among local authorities of a second major surge.