Spain deployed its military to the border of its North African enclave of Ceuta on Friday, attempting to restore order after an unprecedented surge of approximately 49,000 people crossed into the territory in a single day. At least 19 bodies were discovered in the water surrounding the enclave.
Moroccan authorities reinforced the border fence and deployed water cannon trucks, appearing to halt the mass influx. On the Moroccan side of the border, in the town of Fnideq, thousands of migrants had gathered overnight, with security forces attempting to push back those seeking to cross. Some individuals were observed preparing to swim across.
This event marks the largest single-day arrival in Ceuta in recent memory, with Spain describing it as the biggest crisis since at least 2021. The sheer volume of arrivals has caused divisions within Europe, with Italy threatening to suspend the European Union's internal open border scheme, known as the Schengen Area.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested that Spain's decision to grant citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants encouraged human trafficking, a statement that Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares deemed inappropriate and partisan demagoguery. Albares stated that Spain expected solidarity from its partners and would summon the Italian ambassador to protest the remarks.
Spanish officials indicated their intention to expel illegal entrants as quickly as possible, although a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling has placed new restrictions on special border rejection rules that previously allowed for immediate expulsions. Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres suggested that the surge may have been influenced by this court ruling.
Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city in northern Morocco, represent the EU's only land borders with Africa. Both cities periodically experience attempts by migrants seeking to reach Europe, but the scale of the July 31st influx is considered extraordinary. Local migrant groups have called for a revision of migratory policies to address the reality at the southern border and ensure the dignity and human rights of arriving migrants and refugees, citing insufficient resources in Ceuta.
Spain's government, while firm on illegal crossings, also acknowledges the economic contributions of immigrants and has recently offered a mass amnesty. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska was scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.