Spain Deploys Military as Thousands Cross From Morocco Into Ceuta; Dozens Dead in Mass Breach

Spain is deploying its military to the North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants breached the border from Morocco this week, in what regional authorities describe as the worst crossing since 2021.

The autonomous city’s regional government says around 60,000 people entered Ceuta by land and sea between Thursday and Friday, many by swimming around a border barrier that extends into the water. At least 18 to 34 have died as search efforts continue, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera and NPR, with many of the deaths linked to drowning and a stampede near a border checkpoint at Tarajal beach.

Juan Jesús Vivas, President of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable,” noting that the number of arrivals amounts to more than 70 percent of the enclave’s population. He had earlier called on the national government to declare an emergency and deploy additional police and military personnel.

Spain’s Interior Ministry initially said it could not declare a national emergency over a migration matter, but the government later confirmed it would send troops to Ceuta to help restore order. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the crossings as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” and said his government was “mobilising all necessary resources” in coordination with Moroccan authorities. He was expected to visit Ceuta on Friday alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, about 25,000 people had already been returned to Morocco by Friday as authorities moved to speed up repatriations.

Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local association representing Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, called the situation a “serious humanitarian crisis.” He said thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied minors, spent the night sleeping on sidewalks and in parks, while others moved through the streets with nowhere to go. Local broadcaster RTVE also aired footage of burned vehicles on the Moroccan side of the border following reported clashes.

Ceuta authorities have linked the surge to a ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court earlier in July, which found that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be returned to Morocco without due process. The ruling does not apply to people entering by land. Sánchez said Friday that trafficking networks had spread a distorted version of the ruling that “spread like wildfire in recent hours,” encouraging people to attempt the crossing. Some activists in Morocco have questioned that explanation, arguing that most migrants are unlikely to have known about the court decision.

The European Commission has offered operational support through its border agency, Frontex. Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Migration, said he remained in constant contact with Spanish authorities and stressed that protecting the European Union’s external borders remains central to efforts to manage irregular migration.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s opposition People’s Party, described the situation in Ceuta as “desperate” and criticised the government’s handling of the crisis.

Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory on Morocco’s northern coast, form the European Union’s only land border with Africa and have long been entry points for migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, seeking to reach Europe. The scenes this week recall a similar crisis in May 2021, when around 10,000 people entered Ceuta over two days amid a diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Rabat.