At least 15 people have died and thousands have entered Spanish territory illegally after a massive surge of migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on Thursday, prompting Spain to deploy its military to the tiny North African enclave. Local authorities, overwhelmed by the scale of the crossings, had already declared reception centres full and called on Madrid to declare a national emergency — a request the central government declined on legal grounds, noting that migration flows do not qualify as a national security risk under current legislation.
Ceuta, a Spanish territory of roughly 85,000 people perched on the northern tip of Africa and bordered by Morocco on all land sides, has long been a focal point for migrants seeking entry into Europe. The crossings on Thursday were concentrated at Tarajal beach, where video footage showed large crowds — predominantly young Moroccan men, but also families with children — wading around breakwaters onto local roads, some shouting "Viva España!" The border, in the words of one Civil Guard representative, had "totally collapsed." Moroccan authorities had not publicly commented on events, though Spain's Interior Ministry said the two governments were cooperating closely and had agreed to work toward the rapid return of those who entered illegally. Hundreds of people were also reported to be converging on the Moroccan town of Fnideq, which borders Ceuta, after rumours spread that the frontier had been opened — with some using back roads to evade Moroccan gendarmerie checkpoints.
The precise cause of the surge remained unclear. Ceuta's regional authorities had pointed to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling holding that migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately pushed back without due process — a right not extended to those crossing by land. However, activists in Morocco questioned this explanation, arguing most migrants would have had no knowledge of the ruling. The crossings coincided with Morocco's Throne Day celebrations, when King Mohammed VI was presiding over official ceremonies in the nearby city of M'diq.
The scenes evoke the crisis of May 2021, when more than 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta in two days amid a diplomatic dispute between Spain and Morocco over the hospitalisation of a Polisario Front leader — a pro-independence movement representing the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara, a territory long disputed with Morocco. This time, Spain announced it would send armed forces to reinforce the Civil Guard, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he would travel to Ceuta on Friday alongside the Interior Minister. The temporary migrant reception centre, designed to hold 500 people, was reported to be completely full, with hundreds sleeping on streets.
The crisis triggered immediate international friction. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy's participation in the Schengen Area's open-border agreement with Spain, calling the images from Ceuta "shocking" and saying Italy "will not stand idle" — though Italy shares no border with Spain. Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected the threat as "partisan demagoguery" unworthy of a partner country, and summoned the Italian ambassador to Madrid in protest. The episode underscores a broader and unresolved debate within Europe about how member states should share responsibility for managing migration at the bloc's external frontiers.