Migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026.
Antonio Sempere/AP
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Antonio Sempere/AP
CEUTA, Spain — The Spanish military is set to intervene in Ceuta to restore order on the border with Morocco, following an influx of migrants into the small Spanish territory. Tragically, at least nine people lost their lives during these attempts.
This decision came after Ceuta’s local authorities requested additional support from the central government in Madrid to address the escalating border crisis, marked by large groups of people breaching the border fence on Thursday.
Spain’s Ceuta territory is seeing an influx of migrants.
Kevin S. Vineys/AP
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Kevin S. Vineys/AP
The Spanish government has decided to send the Armed Forces to assist the Civil Guard in maintaining order in Ceuta. Additionally, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska plan to visit Ceuta on Friday.
“The situation is absolute chaos,” remarked Rachid Sbihi, head of the association representing the Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, to The Associated Press. He noted the difficulty in providing precise numbers but stated that thousands of migrants are crossing, leading to a “total collapse” of the border.
Achraf Maimouni from the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco described the situation as “exceptional.”
“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning, and people crossed,” he explained.
Footage captured large groups, predominantly Moroccans, moving around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach and onto local roads. While most were young men, some families with women and children were also present.
Shouts of “Viva España!” could be heard from some, directed at a freelance photographer for the AP. The reason for the sudden surge of migrants to Ceuta remains unclear.
The government delegation in Ceuta confirmed that at least nine people died on Thursday amid the chaos, although details on the deaths were not disclosed. Bodies were seen floating in the water. This year, dozens have died attempting to reach Ceuta, according to local authorities.
Arrivals had been increasing, but reasons are still unclear
The border tension between Spain and Morocco escalated following a surge of migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday.
Moroccan authorities have not issued any public statements regarding the crossings, and the Interior Ministry of Morocco did not respond to requests for comment.
Migrants try to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026.
Antonio Sempere/AP
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Antonio Sempere/AP
Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that the Moroccan government is working closely with Spain to manage the situation, with Moroccan police preventing numerous people from crossing the border. Both nations have agreed to collaborate on returning those who entered Ceuta illegally as soon as possible.
Earlier, the ministry assured the public of maintaining national border integrity and citizen safety. However, it declined to declare a national emergency, as requested by local authorities, citing migration concerns.
The turmoil has also impacted Italy, another key destination for migrants. Premier Giorgia Meloni has threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border Schengen agreement with Spain, despite the absence of a shared border, to protect Italy’s borders and ensure citizen safety.
Ceuta officials previously attributed the surge to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier this month. The ruling prohibits immediate returns of migrants arriving by sea without due process but does not apply to those entering by land.
Some Moroccan activists questioned whether the ruling influenced the surge, arguing that most migrants were likely unaware of such legal decisions.
Spain serves as a primary entry point for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or fleeing violence in their home countries.
To reach Ceuta, situated on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering approximately 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) to enter Spanish territory. Others opt for the shorter crossing from Belyounech.
The recent events echo the border crisis of May 2021, when over 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta within two days.
At the time, Morocco faced accusations of easing border controls, enabling migrants to cross into Ceuta after Spain allowed Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to receive medical treatment at a Spanish hospital. This incident sparked a diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid. The pro-independence Polisario Front has long claimed to represent the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara, a region Morocco considers its own.
Ceuta authorities ask Madrid to declare emergency, send army
Juan Jesús Vivas, head of Ceuta’s regional government, urged the national government to declare an emergency for national security reasons. He requested additional police and army deployment at the border to ensure the frontier’s inviolability and citizen safety.
Belongings left behind by migrants float in the sea after they crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026.
Antonio Sempere/AP
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He had warned Wednesday that migrant reception centers were overwhelmed with hundreds of people sleeping on the streets after more than 1,500 migrants entered the territory in the past week. Thousands more crossed overnight and on Thursday.
Spain’s Interior Ministry, which tracks irregular migration, would not confirm the number of migrants who had made it to Ceuta in the last few days but said it would publish its next migration report on Aug. 3. As of July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to ministry figures.
Legislation covering a declaration of national emergencies does not consider migration flows as a risk to national security, according to the ministry, which said government agencies are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta.”
Ceuta, which is perched on a historical isthmus, has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Its mixed population of Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers, lives in relative harmony behind a border fence that many desperate migrants from across Africa attempt to cross for a better life in Europe.
