Nearly 60,000 Migrants Enter Spain’s Ceuta from Morocco in a Single Day; 34 Killed

Darwin, August 1: Nearly 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, from Morocco within 24 hours, according to the president of Ceuta. He said at least 34 people were killed while attempting to enter the territory.

According to the BBC, the surge came after Spain’s Supreme Court issued a ruling earlier this month stating that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Spain’s other North African enclave, Melilla, cannot be immediately returned to Morocco.

Videos circulating on social media show large numbers of migrants swimming toward Ceuta’s coastline or using inflatable rings and other floating devices to reach shore. Others were seen running through a fenced border crossing into the enclave.

Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city located on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, has long served as one of the main gateways into Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the mass influx as an “attack” and vowed that all undocumented migrants would be returned to Morocco as quickly as possible.

Several European leaders also expressed concern over the unprecedented influx, with some pledging to strengthen border controls.

Officials said that more than 25,000 migrants have already returned voluntarily to Morocco. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the French president also offered assistance to Spain.

Local authorities had recently appealed to the government in Madrid for additional support as border crossings increased. However, the situation descended into chaos on Thursday when border controls reportedly collapsed.

According to the latest local statistics, Ceuta has a population of around 83,600. The number of migrants who entered the enclave within 24 hours amounted to nearly 70 percent of the city’s total population.

Spain has deployed its armed forces to reinforce security in both Ceuta and neighboring Melilla. Reports indicate that between 300 and 400 people also entered Melilla overnight.

During a visit to Ceuta on Friday, Prime Minister Sánchez said his government would further strengthen border security with Morocco.

Most of those crossing into Spain from Morocco were young men, although women, children, and even infants were also among the arrivals. Officials estimate that at least 7,000 of those who entered over the past 24 hours were minors.

Migrants attempting to reach Ceuta typically swim several kilometers from the Moroccan coast. This time, however, many managed to approach the border fence with relative ease. Some walked around the rocks near a jetty before entering, while most swam around it to reach the beach on the other side.

It remains unclear where Moroccan border guards were during the crossings and why they did not attempt to disperse or stop the migrants.

A similar, though much smaller, mass crossing occurred in 2021, when Morocco allowed around 8,000 migrants to cross into Ceuta during a diplomatic dispute with Spain over the sovereignty of Western Sahara.

That diplomatic tension has reportedly resurfaced following Prime Minister Sánchez’s recent visit to Algeria, which supports the independence of Western Sahara.