Spain has deployed military forces to its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants breached the border from Morocco in one of the largest migration surges in recent years, with at least nine people dying while attempting to reach the territory by sea.
The Spanish government announced on Thursday that it would mobilise armed forces to assist the Civil Guard in ensuring safety within Ceuta, following a significant influx of migrants that has overwhelmed local reception facilities and security personnel. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday, July 31, accompanied by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to evaluate the situation firsthand.
According to Spanish state television TVE, between 2,000 and 3,000 people crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in recent days. Footage showed hundreds of migrants swimming from the Moroccan side, while others broke through gates on land or used inflatable devices to reach Tarajal beach.
The government of Ceuta said on Thursday that between 1,500 and 2,000 people had entered in the last 10 days, with hundreds more estimated to have arrived on Thursday alone. This prompted regional President Jesus Vivas to declare an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency” and call on Madrid to send troops to reassert control of the border.
“We are confronting a situation of utter humanitarian and social emergency,” Vivas informed radio station Cadena SER, noting that facilities for unaccompanied minors are operating at 2,400 per cent of their capacity. The enclave’s reception centres, particularly those for unaccompanied minors, have exceeded capacity, leaving hundreds of migrants without accommodation.
The Spanish Interior Ministry announced that the armed forces would reinforce the Civil Guard to help maintain security in Ceuta. While it did not specify the number of troops being deployed, the ministry said the Civil Guard’s strength in the enclave would nearly double from the current 80 personnel. Diving teams and coastguard vessels have also been mobilised.
According to AFP, Spanish authorities recovered the bodies of nine migrants who drowned while trying to reach Ceuta by sea. The enclave, which shares a border with Morocco, has witnessed hundreds of migrants entering by swimming across the coastline, while many more remain gathered on the Moroccan side waiting to cross.
Local authorities noted that dozens have died this year while attempting to reach Ceuta. More than 60 people have died attempting the crossing over the past 12 months, according to official statistics. As of July 15, 3,000 migrants had arrived in Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to Interior Ministry statistics.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said it was working closely with Morocco to address the surge in irregular arrivals, blaming people-smuggling networks for exploiting the Supreme Court’s ruling and encouraging undocumented migration. The ministry indicated that a new migration report would be issued on August 3.
The sudden influx has drawn comparisons to the May 2021 migration crisis, when 10,000 individuals entered the enclave within a matter of days. Ceuta regional president Juan Vivas warned that at the current rate of around 300 arrivals per day, the city could experience a similar crisis.
“The situation remains out of control as we speak,” said Zarroqui, a security official, adding that people were still flocking to the Moroccan city of Fnideq in an attempt to cross the border. He remarked, “It’s impossible to provide exact figures, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” noting that the border had “completely collapsed.”
Spain and Morocco reached an agreement on Thursday for the urgent return of migrants who crossed the border into the Spanish enclave. The two countries agreed to step up coordination and review procedures in order to speed up, as much as possible, the return of people who have entered Ceuta illegally. For now, no specific timetable has been set for implementing these measures.
The Spanish government rejected Ceuta’s request to declare a national emergency, arguing that migration does not fall within the legal framework governing such declarations. Instead, it announced additional police deployments and closer coordination with Moroccan authorities. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is expected to visit Ceuta on Friday to evaluate the situation.
Footage from the border showed some of the migrants shouting “Viva Espana!” as they entered the territory. State news agency EFE said others had crossed the border by land, scaling fences. The Interior Ministry said it was working closely with Morocco to address the surge, having prevented thousands of migrants from illegally entering Ceuta in recent days.
The incident has reignited the immigration debate across Europe, with Italy calling for closing Schengen to Spain over the Ceuta migrant crisis. The situation has sparked a political debate regarding migration into Europe and the capacity of border territories to handle sudden influxes.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, represents one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, making it a focal point for migrants seeking to reach Europe. The enclave’s strategic location has made it a recurring flashpoint in the broader Mediterranean migration crisis.
Prime Minister Sánchez stated that his government is “fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation in Ceuta” and that he would work with Moroccan authorities to “restore normalcy as soon as possible.” The Spanish government said it is mobilising all necessary resources, collaborating with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing essential measures to restore order as swiftly as possible.
