Thousands of migrants have been swimming or illegally crossing into Spain’s Ceuta territory in recent days, creating a humanitarian crisis and prompting local authorities to urgently call on the central government to intervene.
Foreign news agencies reported on 30 Jul 2026 that hundreds to thousands of migrants have attempted to leave Morocco by sea and land to flood into Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa, causing a humanitarian and security crisis that has led local leaders to urgently request central Spanish government intervention.
Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish territories located in North Africa and represent the only land borders of the European Union (EU) with the African continent. In recent days, footage has captured large numbers of migrants using inflatable rings and flotation devices to swim across the coast, while some have run through broken border fences into Ceuta territory.
Reported figures remain conflicting. Spanish media estimate as many as 2,000 to 3,000 migrants entered on Thursday, while public broadcaster RTVE reported over 1,500 migrants—mostly Moroccan youths—have crossed into Ceuta within the past two weeks.
Juan Jesús Vivas, the chief executive of Ceuta, stated that 60 bodies have been recovered at sea in recent months and warned that youth shelters for unaccompanied minors are currently overwhelmed far beyond capacity.
It is believed that the surge of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta is linked to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling which stated that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be immediately deported back to Morocco without a formal legal process.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior believes human trafficking networks are exploiting this ruling to incite and facilitate illegal migrant entries. Nevertheless, Spain and Morocco have agreed to accelerate the process of deporting illegal immigrants back to their home countries as quickly as possible.
This situation has sent shockwaves throughout Europe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X that the scenes in Ceuta reflect how uncontrolled illegal migration threatens Europe’s security and called for the temporary suspension of Spain’s status in the Schengen Area.
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Source:bbc