Μake us preferred on Google Spain said migrant crossings into its North African enclave of Ceuta came to a halt overnight after authorities reinforced the border and installed a floating maritime barrier following an unprecedented mass influx that left at least 67 people dead.
According to Spanish authorities, around 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea from Morocco beginning on Thursday in what officials described as an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. More than 48,000 of those migrants returned to Morocco within 48 hours without major incident, Spanish authorities said.
Police officers and Spanish soldiers escort a big group of migrants to the border to take them out of Spain, after mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Jon Nazca TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Reuters footage on Saturday showed Spanish soldiers and police patrolling a largely empty Tarajal beach, while Civil Guard officers began installing a 500-meter (1,640-foot) floating barrier along the Tarajal breakwater, one of the main entry points used during the crossings.
The pneumatic barrier, together with a line of anchored naval buoys, is designed to rise 30 to 70 centimeters (12 to 28 inches) above the water and extend up to one meter below the surface. A channel between the barriers will allow Civil Guard vessels to patrol the area.
Death Toll Climbs to 67
Spanish officials said at least 67 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the frontier after some migrants drowned and others were crushed while attempting to climb the breakwater and border fence.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting vulnerable migrants and spreading misleading interpretations of a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily returned in the absence of a physical barrier.
Spanish soldiers question a migrant, following mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
Speaking in Ceuta, Grande-Marlaska said Spain had largely restored order within 24 hours but stressed the crisis was not yet officially over. Reinforced police and military deployments will remain in place for as long as necessary, although overnight crossings had fallen to nearly zero.
“Morocco isn’t any threat to Ceuta or the rest of Spain—it’s a fully reliable partner,” he said, adding that authorities had received no intelligence indicating a mass crossing was imminent.
Migrants rest in Ceuta, Spain, following recent mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, described the surge as a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty and said returns to Morocco were being accelerated with Moroccan cooperation.
Spanish soldiers and emergency personnel rescue an injured migrant at the beach, after mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
EU Divided Over Ceuta Crisis
The mass migration surge has deepened divisions within the European Union.
Twenty-two EU governments called for an emergency meeting of interior ministers, urging the bloc to help Spain regain control of its border with Morocco. The countries asked for a coordinated response, including possible additional support from the EU border agency Frontex and a review of cooperation with Morocco.
France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Ireland did not sign the letter sent to Ireland, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
Migrants collect water in Ceuta, Spain, following recent mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Meanwhile, Sánchez also called for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers but criticized governments that advocated suspending Spain from the passport-free Schengen Area.
Italy’s right-wing government announced on Friday that it was suspending Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month.
“In the current international context, the EU cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarizing and unlawful reaction,” Sánchez wrote.
Italian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
Madrid emphasized that migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly cannot continue onward to mainland Spain or other Schengen countries. The Foreign Ministry said all travelers leaving Ceuta by sea or air are subject to police identity checks, creating a second layer of border control after the land frontier with Morocco.
Migrants try to make their way past Spanish police officers, following recent mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Spain also rejected claims that its program to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented migrants had encouraged the rush into Ceuta, noting that applicants must prove they were already living in Spain before Jan. 1, 2026, and had maintained at least five continuous months of residence before applying.
Migrants Describe Hunger and Desperation
As order gradually returned to Ceuta, many migrants who had crossed into the enclave began heading back to Morocco, saying hunger, exhaustion and hostility had shattered their hopes of reaching Europe.
Many said they had been encouraged by viral social media videos and messages from friends suggesting the heavily guarded border could be breached.
“We came to make progress, not to be fooled,” said Brahim, a bakery worker from Fez. “I thought I’d build a better future there. But I was surprised in Ceuta.”
Migrants cool off in Ceuta, Spain, following recent mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Brahim said he survived for three days on water alone because he could not afford food, claiming a tuna sandwich was selling for 100 dirhams (about $10.75).
In Fnideq, the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta, Reuters observed nearly empty streets leading to the border after thousands had gathered there just days earlier. Migrants returning from Spain described closed supermarkets and shops, leaving them struggling to find food and water.
“Ceuta was like a prison—nothing to do there. Everything was closed,” said a worker from Morocco’s Tanger Med port, who declined to be identified.
Some migrants also alleged they had been attacked or driven away by residents of El Príncipe, a predominantly Moroccan neighborhood in Ceuta. Reuters could not independently verify those claims.
Security forces stand guard in Fnideq, Morocco, August 1, 2026, as migrants gather after crossing from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta to the Moroccan side of the border. Picture taken using a mobile phone. REUTERS/Stringer
Spain’s Interior Ministry said two people suffered minor injuries in separate knife attacks, and one suspect was arrested. Authorities said no fatalities from knife attacks had been recorded since Thursday.
Despite the difficult conditions, not all migrants planned to return.
Mohamed Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sudanese man who said he swam for four hours to reach Ceuta, remained determined to stay.
“I’m not going back,” he said. “I’d rather die trying here.”
