Saturday, August 1, 2026 - At least 60 people have died attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after up to 60,000 migrants crossed into the territory from Morocco in just 24 hours, triggering a humanitarian and political crisis in Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the mass
influx as "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity" as the surge
overwhelmed the enclave, which has a population of about 85,000 people.
Sánchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, July 31, said the Spanish government
would use all available resources to guarantee the safety of residents.
He blamed the unprecedented crossings on human trafficking
networks, which he said had taken advantage of a recent Spanish Supreme Court
ruling preventing the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea while
attempting to reach Ceuta or Spain's other North African enclave, Melilla.
“That has spread like wildfire during these last few hours
through the networks of mafias that traffic in human beings and has produced an
avalanche of the characteristics and dimension that we experienced yesterday,”
Sánchez said.
The prime minister announced plans to establish a temporary
reception centre to facilitate the documentation, registration, triage and
expedited removal of migrants with no legal basis to remain in Spain. He also
said the government would install a visible barrier of buoys near the
breakwater at Ceuta's Tarajal beach to clearly mark the border while complying
with the Supreme Court's ruling.
Spain's Interior Ministry, which has deployed additional
police officers and soldiers to the enclave, said more than 37,500 migrants had
voluntarily crossed back into Morocco by Friday afternoon. The developments
prompted strong reactions across Europe.
Italy announced it would suspend the Schengen border-free
travel arrangements with Spain for one month in response to the migration
surge. Although Italy does not share a land border with Spain, the measure
means travellers moving by air or sea between the two countries will be
required to present passports. Italy's Interior Ministry also said it had
agreed with France to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian border to
prevent undocumented migrants from crossing.
The announcement drew a sharp response from Madrid after
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani blamed Spain's migrant regularisation
programme for encouraging human trafficking. Spain's Foreign Minister, José
Manuel Albares, summoned Italy's ambassador, describing Tajani's comments as
"unbecoming" and accusing Italy of engaging in "partisan
demagoguery."
The European Commission later clarified that Ceuta and
Melilla operate under special Schengen rules that prevent migrants from moving
freely into the rest of the border-free zone. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus
Brunner described the situation in Ceuta as "unacceptable" and said
he was in close contact with Spanish authorities.
Ireland also expressed support for Spain. Justice Minister
Jim O'Callaghan said he had spoken with Spain's Interior Minister Fernando
Grande-Marlaska. “I expressed my solidarity and support to the Spanish
Government as they deal with the situation in Ceuta,” O'Callaghan said in a
post on X.
He added that, as part of Ireland's Presidency of the
Council of the European Union, he had requested an emergency meeting of the
EU's Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) mechanism and a meeting of EU
ambassadors. The latest influx far exceeds the previous mass crossing in May
2021, when around 10,000 migrants entered Ceuta over two days following a
temporary relaxation of border controls by Morocco.
Moroccan government sources told Europa Press that criminal
organisations were responsible for the latest crossings and insisted Rabat's
cooperation with Spain remained "exemplary." Rachid Sbihi, head of a
workers' association representing Spain's Guardia Civil officers, described the
situation as "a serious humanitarian crisis."
According to Sbihi, thousands of migrants, including
unaccompanied children, have been left without shelter, sleeping in parks and
on pavements while others wander the streets. “It's chaotic,” he said.
He added that many of those who died drowned while
attempting the crossing, while others were killed in a crush near the
breakwater fence at Tarajal beach. Footage from the area showed large groups of
migrants, including young men, women and children, making their way from the
shoreline onto roads inside the Spanish enclave.
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