Thousands of migrants surge into Spain’s Ceuta enclave

Spain deployed military reinforcements to its North African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco by sea and land in a major surge that overwhelmed local authorities.

Spanish state television TVE reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people entered Ceuta that day, though Reuters could not independently confirm the figure. Video footage showed hundreds swimming or floating on inner tubes from the Moroccan side, while others broke through a border gate and ran into the city. Some migrants shouted “Long live Spain” as they entered. In the nearby Moroccan town of Fnideq, authorities later used water cannons in an effort to deter further crossings.

The influx followed a week in which around 1,500 migrants had already reached the enclave, according to Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, who described an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency.” Reception facilities, particularly those for unaccompanied minors, were reported to be operating far beyond capacity. Nine bodies were recovered in Ceuta on Thursday, adding to a toll of about 60 migrant deaths in recent months while attempting the crossing. Clashes were also reported at the border of Spain’s second North African enclave, Melilla.

Madrid sent 200 specialised police officers and 60 troops from the mainland. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska were scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday. The Interior Ministry said it was coordinating with Morocco, had prevented thousands of irregular entries in recent days, and vowed to deport those who entered illegally. The government attributed the surge partly to “exploitation by mafias and criminal organisations” of a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that restricted summary returns of migrants intercepted at sea.

Spain’s Socialist government has pursued a relatively pro-migrant stance and recently launched a programme to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants (initially framed around 500,000, with applications later reported far higher). Right-wing critics quickly linked the Ceuta events to this policy, arguing it created a pull factor.

Political reactions from European centre-right and conservative groups

The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament and the European political family of Spain’s opposition People’s Party (PP), sharply criticised the situation. EPP President Manfred Weber described the images from the Spanish border as “devastating” and said they were “the direct consequence of the pull effect provoked by the mass regularisation, aggravated by the instrumentalisation of irregular migration.” The EPP Group called for immediate action to secure external borders, full implementation of the EU Migration Pact and Return Regulation, and said it would demand answers from the Spanish government and European Commission at the next European Parliament plenary. It urged the Commission to hold Sánchez accountable for failing to protect the external border and to ensure the return of those without the right to stay.

Shocking images of massive and uncontrolled arrivals of illegal migrants at the Spanish border today.
Uncontrolled borders demand immediate action. The EU Migration Pact and the Return Regulation can’t wait.
We urge Spain to act NOW to secure our external borders and the… pic.twitter.com/dyhwkj5H84
— EPP Group (@EPPGroup) July 30, 2026

Spanish PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the situation in Ceuta “desperate” and a “national security crisis,” accusing the government of looking the other way.

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group issued a detailed statement framing the crisis as the predictable outcome of years of weak deterrence and mixed signals:

“The renewed migration crisis in Ceuta once again demonstrates the consequences of migration policies that send the wrong signals. In the ECR Group’s view, the current situation is the predictable result of years of policy choices that have weakened deterrence, encouraged illegal migration and undermined confidence in Europe’s ability to protect its external borders.”

ECR Group Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini said: “What we are witnessing in Ceuta is the direct result of years of weakness, mixed messages and political denial. When a government regularises illegal residence on a massive scale, it should not be surprised when many more people conclude that reaching Europe illegally will eventually be rewarded. Europe must regain control of its external borders. Frontex must be substantially strengthened with the resources, personnel and capabilities needed to support frontline Member States. Those who enter the European Union illegally and have no right to remain must be returned without delay.”

Co-Chairman Patryk Jaki added: “Pedro Sánchez’s policy of mass regularisation has sent precisely the wrong message to migrants and smugglers: enter illegally, remain long enough, and political decisions may eventually legalise your presence. Illegal entry must never become a shortcut to legal residence, permanent status or citizenship. Decisions taken by a Member State have consequences for the entire Schengen Area. The European Commission must therefore assess the cross-border impact of such policies and ensure that national migration decisions do not undermine the security of other Member States.”

Diego Solier, leader of the Spanish ECR Delegation, stated: “The people of Ceuta should now not be left alone with the consequences of irresponsible migration policies. Europe must stand with Ceuta. The Sánchez government has consistently prioritised ideological gestures over effective border management. Spain needs a government that protects its borders, dismantles the business model of people smugglers and restores confidence that illegal entry will not lead to legal residence.”

Local businesses in Ceuta shuttered amid the tension, with some owners organising self-defence measures. The events recalled the 2021 crisis in which around 10,000 people entered the enclave in a short period. Ceuta and Melilla remain the European Union’s only land borders with Africa and have long been focal points for irregular migration pressure.

Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish autonomous cities on the North African coast, surrounded by Morocco, and form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Over the years they have repeatedly been the focus of large-scale attempts by migrants – often from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa – to enter Spanish territory by climbing border fences, swimming around breakwaters, or rushing through gates, with major surges such as the 2021 crisis that saw around 10,000 people enter Ceuta in a matter of days.

Caption: People gather at the Bab Sebta border crossing between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, near Fnideq, Morocco, 30 July 2026. Spain and Morocco agreed to the urgent return of migrants who had entered Spanish territory irregularly, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. Hundreds of people headed toward the border after reports circulated on social media suggesting that entry into Ceuta had become easier. EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI