At least 18 migrants have died attempting to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, where thousands of individuals breached the border, prompting Spain to deploy its military.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday morning. The situation has been described as a "serious humanitarian crisis" by Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers.
"People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts," Sbihi stated. He noted that many of the deceased drowned, while others perished in a stampede at the Tarajal beach breakwater fence.
Thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left without shelter, sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, or roaming the streets, creating a chaotic scene. Video footage from Thursday showed crowds, primarily Moroccans, moving across the breakwaters onto local roads. While many appeared to be young men, families with women and small children were also present.
Over the past week, more than 1,500 migrants have arrived in Ceuta, according to local news reports on July 30, 2026. The exact cause that prompted such a large number of migrants to cross simultaneously was not immediately clear.
