Spain has deployed additional military and police forces to the North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of people crossed from Morocco in a single day, marking the largest such incident since 2021.
Thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, crossing through the Tarajal beach area by swimming, wading, and in some cases scaling border fences. Spanish state broadcasters reported between 2,000 and 3,000 people crossed into the territory within hours, though exact numbers remain unclear. Video footage showed crowds of predominantly young men, along with families with women and children, moving through the breakwaters and along roads. The incident represents the most significant crossing since May 2021, when over 8,000 people arrived in two days.
Spain's interior ministry responded by deploying 60 armed forces personnel and 30 additional Guardia Civil officers to secure the border. However, the government rejected calls from Ceuta's regional president Juan Jesús Vivas to declare a national emergency, stating such declarations could only be made in response to meteorological disasters or nuclear threats. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged to mobilize resources and coordinate with Moroccan and international authorities. A Guardia Civil representative attributed the surge to a recent supreme court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea could not be summarily returned, noting the situation represented "an explosion" compared to previous "slow trickles."
Moroccan authorities deployed riot gear personnel using teargas and water cannon near the border. Moroccan government sources blamed "criminal organisations" for organizing the crossing, while a human rights representative described the border opening as occurring under "unusual circumstances." Reports indicated nine bodies were recovered. Local officials warned that migrant reception centres were overwhelmed, with hundreds sleeping on streets.
The incident sparked diplomatic tensions, with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatening to suspend Spain from the EU's Schengen travel zone. Spanish Foreign Minister José Luis Albares rejected these calls as "weaponising immigration for political ends." Within Spain, opposition leaders criticized the government's response, with conservative and far-right politicians describing the situation as a security crisis or "invasion."
