An estimated 60,000 migrants have poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the past few days, the leader has said after troops were deployed to battle the growing crisis on the border.
At least 34 people died while attempting to cross into Ceuta from North Africa as overwhelmed border guards struggled to deal with the influx.
Spain sent military and police reinforcements to Ceuta after the surge, while Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon trucks and reinforced security at the crossing-gates.
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a "serious humanitarian crisis."
"People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts," he said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit the enclave on Friday morning.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city in northern Morocco, represents the European Union's only land border with Africa. Both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.
Read MoreWhat you need to know about Ceuta as deadly migrant crisis hits Spanish enclave
Chaos in Ceuta as 49,000 migrants pour into enclave from Morocco and overwhelm border guards
Key Points
- PM Pedro Sánchez calls Ceuta crisis 'violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty'
- Over 60,000 migrants cross into Spain as death toll rises to 34
- France to strengthen controls at border with Spain
- Around 25,000 migrants return to Morocco today
- Spain to speed up repatriation of migrants in Ceuta
'One rational thing to do would be to transfer people to mainland Spain'
13:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Judith Sunderland, senior director in the refugee and migrants rights division at Human Rights Watch, told The Independent that the numbers of people coming into Ceuta will be difficult for local authorities and NGOs to handle.
She said: "49,000 [in 24 hours] is a lot for Ceuta alone to handle, so from the perspective of the obligation on Spain to provide adequate care and individual assessments for everyone, that is going to be difficult to do in Ceuta.
“One rational thing to do would be to transfer a bunch of people to mainland Spain.
“I know that local NGOs are already calling for that, I would suspect that the Ceuta government would want that to happen. But then you get into all the politics of that.
"Ideally everyone should get an individual assessment and those that have no claim to remain, they don't need asylum, they don't have a right to protection, they should be returned. That’s clear."
She explained that Ceuta, while part of Spain, has a carve-out from the usual requirements of the Schengen free travel area.
"There is no freedom of movement between Ceuta and mainland Spain, so none of these people are going to easily get on ferries to go to mainland Spain," Sunderland added.
Referring to the policing of the border with Morocco, she said: "Spain has been often violently controlling the enclaves for years now, they are extremely expert at blocking people from entering.
“Summarily expelling those who do, and preventing anyone who does actually make it, from travelling onward into Spain.
“It is clearly a very challenging situation and the Spanish government does need to be careful in how it responds, they are sending military and they need to be careful that that doesn’t involve violence."
While the situation is challenging, Sunderland explained that this is a crisis that the Spanish government should be prepared for.
She added: "They should have systems in place to handle it in a way that is rational and humane and respects the rights of those arriving, and responds to the concerns of the local population.
“This is a big test, and I think is fair to demand that they rise to the challenge."
Emmanuel Macron orders increased border checks in response
13:20 , Gergana.KrastevaEmmanuel Macron had tasked interior minister Laurent Nunez to beef up checks at the borders with Spain.
The French president is in touch with Spanish and Moroccan authorities over the border crossings.
France stands ready to help out Spain if necessary, including via the European border and cost guards agency Frontex, his office said.
Around 25,000 migrants return to Morocco from Ceuta today
13:10 , Gergana.Krasteva
An estimated 25,000 migrants have made the journey back to Morocco from Ceuta this morning, the Spanish Interior Ministry has said.
This comes after the leader of the enclave, Juan Jesus Vivas, told the press that around 60,000 people have crossed the border in the past few days.
What happened during the violent clashes?
13:00 , Gergana.KrastevaA night of unrest gripped Ceuta as nearly 50,000 migrants, most from Morocco, overwhelmed the border.
Security forces from both Morocco and Spain clashed with groups at several crossings as people tried to force their way over the fence and hurled stones at officials.
Moroccan forces initially managed to push them back towards their side of the border, and later unleashed tear gas on them.
At the gates into Ceuta, Moroccan authorities also deployed water cannon trucks and pushed people back.
The charred remains of a bus and seven cars could be seen nearby from the violence.
Over 60,000 migrants cross into Spain as death toll rises to 34
12:50 , Gergana.Krasteva
Around 60,000 people were estimated to have crossed into Ceuta in the past few days, the leader of the Spanish enclave, Juan Jesus Vivas, has confirmed.
He also revealed that the death toll from crossings has now jumped to 34, up from 24 we reported earlier today.
"The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable," Vivas told reporters.
'We can't allow anyone to come to EU without abiding by our rules'
12:30 , Gergana.KrastevaEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has described the images coming from Ceuta are "unacceptable" and has confirmed that the EU is in touch with Moroccan authorities.
"(Commissioner) Dubravka Suica is in contact with her Moroccan counterpart,” she said on X.
“I am confident that our close partnership with Morocco will help deliver concrete results.”
The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 31, 2026
We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules.
Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.
I tasked two Commissioners…
Spain to speed up repatriation of migrants in Ceuta
12:14 , Gergana.Krasteva
A temporary centre will be set up in Ceuta to “expedite” the expulsion of people with no legal claim to be in Spanish territory, PM Sánchez has revealed.
Shortly after arriving in the city, he told a press conference that the government will also add a visible barrier near the breakwater to signal the border.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez calls Ceuta crisis 'violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty'
11:57 , Gergana.Krasteva
Pedro Sánchez has arrived in the enclave of Ceuta, where he criticised last night’s escalation as a “violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty”.
Speaking to the media while flanked by interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the prime minister described the last 24 hours as “deplorable” - but said the crisis is driven by human traffickers wilfully misleading migrants about the legal situation.
He vowed to use “all mechanisms and resources available to the state” to resolve the situation.
Five more bodies recovered from water
11:46 , Gergana.KrastevaFive more bodies have been recovered from the water, bringing the death toll to 24, it has been reported.
Police sources cited by EFE said that the number of fatalities could continue to rise due to the large number of people who jumped into the sea from the Moroccan coast of Castillejos to reach Ceuta.
Can Italy 'suspend Spain from Schengen zone' over Ceuta crisis?
11:20 , Gergana.KrastevaJosep Borrell has criticised Italy’s threat to “suspend” Spain from the Schengen zone after tens of thousands of migrants breached Morocco's border to cross over to Ceuta.
The former vice-president of the European Commission confirmed that “the option simply does not exist in the legal architecture of the European Union.
“Under EU law, no Member State can unilaterally suspend another’s participation in Schengen,” he wrote on X.
Borrell hit out at both Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani and deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini for the threat.
He added that this is “quite revealing of how EU governments are learning to understand, talk, use and abuse” the union’s legal orders.
1. After thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco this week, Italy threatened to “suspend Schengen with Spain.”
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 31, 2026
It just can’t.
Under EU law, no Member State can unilaterally suspend another’s participation in Schengen.
'Being Spanish doesn't mean hitting migrants'
11:00 , Gergana.KrastevaPolice have been urged to investigate attacks on Moroccans in Ceuta who are “fleeing hunger and misery in their country”.
The Loma Colmenar Residents' Association, a community group representing residents in the enclave, has demanded an end to the violence against migrants arriving in the city.
It claimed that a number of migrants were attacked during last night’s demonstration, including migrant children being harassed.
Its president, Rafael García, has called on the police to identify those responsible, adding that videos of these incidents exist.
"Being Spanish doesn't mean hitting migrants," he said.
Insisting that local authorities must find a place to house people while their situation is being addressed, he added: "What we have to do now is try to solve the problem.”
In pictures: People use swim rings to make treacherous journey to Ceuta
10:50 , Gergana.Krasteva
Spain and Italy row over 'unbecoming' claims about 'uncontrolled immigration'
10:36 , Gergana.KrastevaSpain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, has criticised Italy for claims about “irregular and uncontrolled immigration” amid the chaos in Ceuta.
Italy’s deputy prime minister, Antonio Tajani, posted on Xlast night: “The images coming from Ceuta show how the Madrid Government's decision to grant Spanish, and therefore European, citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants is profoundly wrong and encourages human trafficking.”
Tajani added that he supports “closing the Schengen Area to Spain.”
Reacting to accusation, Albares said the message is “unbecoming.”
“Today's events are related to a court ruling, having nothing to do with what the tweet says,” the minister added.
He confirmed that he has summoned the Italian ambassador.
Este mensaje es impropio del Ministro de Exteriores de un país socio y amigo del que esperamos solidaridad europea y no demagogia partidista. Los hechos de hoy tienen relación con una sentencia, nada que ver con lo que dice el tuit. He convocado mañana al Embajador de Italia. https://t.co/8ZDSZ1Il5c
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) July 30, 2026
Death toll for 2026 reaches 49
10:16 , Gergana.Krasteva
The Civil Guard and Maritime Rescue have been recovering the bodies of drowned victims from the water, in what has become the most tragic day related to deaths on the coast of Ceuta.
These deaths bring the number of migrants who have died this year trying to swim into the Spanish exclave to 49.
In July alone, 30 people drowned while attempting to reach the city.
The number of deaths exceeds the 46 fatalities recorded throughout 2025, which was the most dramatic year for this type of event.
Watch: Migrants from Morocco swim across border into Spain's Ceuta
10:10 , Gergana.KrastevaNumber of migrants killed in crossing rises
10:00 , Gergana.KrastevaThe number of people who have died while attempting to cross into Ceuta has risen to at least 19.
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, said earlier today that most had drowned.
But he added that a number of them were killed in the stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco.
One of the migrants who was caught in the stampede described chaotic scenes of people pushing and trampling on one another along a narrow coastal route.
"I feared for my life," said the man, who declined to give his name.
What is behind the surge in migrant crossings?
09:50 , Gergana.KrastevaAuthorities in Ceuta had previously linked the spike in border crossings to a controversial Spanish Supreme Court decision earlier this month .
It ruled that people who arrive by sea cannot be immediately pushed back across the border without due process, unlike those who cross into Spain by land - by climbing over the border fence, for example.
But some activists in Morocco doubt that the legal decision was behind the surge, arguing that most migrants would have been unaware of it.
Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
France to strengthen controls at border with Spain
09:40 , Gergana.KrastevaFrance is planning “extra measures” to reinforce its border with Spain amid the influx of nearly 50,000 migrants in the last 24 hours.
“We have control at the Franco-Spanish border, it exists,” the French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, told RTL this morning, reacting to the chaos in Ceuta.
“Moreover, it has been reinforced in recent months since we have a mobile force that is permanently present and that reinforces these controls.”
He added: “I spoke with my Spanish counterpart yesterday, we will take measures, we will obviously strengthen controls at the Franco-Spanish border."
Italy wants Spain suspended from Schengen zone over Ceuta crisis
09:25 , Daniel KeaneItalian prime minister Giorgia Meloni called for Spain's suspension from European Union's visa-free Schengen travel zone after thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish city of Ceuta from Morocco.
Spain on Thursday said it was deploying the military to the North African enclave to restore order at its “totally collapsed” border after at least nine people died during the mass migrant crossing this week.
The armed forces said it would send 60 personnel to reinforce the police to deal with people swimming over to the enclave.
Ms Meloni said the images emerging from Ceuta of migrants crossing were "shocking".
"We are in the process of bringing together the competent bodies and, once these meetings are over, we are ready to act, including through exceptional measures, such as suspending the Schengen agreement with Spain," she said on X.
Read our full story below.
Italy pushes for Spain’s Schengen suspension over mass migration crisis in Ceuta
Civil Guard union warns of 'serious humanitarian crisis'
09:20 , Daniel KeaneRachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers described the situation as a "serious humanitarian crisis."
"People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts," he said.
Without shelter, thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and sidewalks, with others roaming the streets aimlessly, he said. "It's chaotic."
In pictures: Migrants clash with Moroccan police near Spanish border
09:15 , Daniel Keane
More than 49,000 migrants pour into Ceuta, says Spain
09:09 , Daniel KeaneMore than 49,000 migrants poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours on Thursday, the Spanish government has said as it deployed troops to battle a growing crisis on the border.
At least 18 people drowned while attempting to cross into Ceuta from North Africa as overwhelmed border guards struggled to deal with the influx.
