EU observer - EU and the World Mass sea crossings to Spain’s Ceuta enclave prompt EU anti-migrant panic By Gaia Neiman and Elena Sánchez Nicolás, Brussels 31 July 2026 15:02

 EUobserver

( Moroccan authorities could have been backing the massive arrival of migrants since Spain drafted a law to grant citizenship to roughly 70,000 Sahrawis - though Spain has affirmed Rabat's cooperation in Ceuta) 

EU and the World

Mass sea crossings to Spain’s Ceuta enclave prompt EU anti-migrant panic

By Gaia Neiman and Elena Sánchez Nicolás, Brussels

31 July 2026 15:02

Tens of thousands of migrants breached border barriers or swam into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta on Thursday (30 July), prompting Madrid to send troops to its North African enclave to bolster security and neighbouring EU countries, such as France, to increase border checks.

Arrivals from Morocco, just over the border, were estimated to be at least 50,000 in a few days, but a continuous flow has made it hard to keep a consistent count. The immigrants are almost entirely of Moroccan nationality, most of whom are young people.

According to local authorities, at least 72 died while trying to reach Ceuta, with deaths attributed to drownings and a stampede near the breakwater fence.

On Friday, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez talked about “an attack and a violation” on Spain’s territorial integrity, while swiftly proceeding to return arrivers. By Friday evening, the ministry of the interior declared that 48,300 people had voluntarily returned to Morocco, with under 2000 migrants still in the enclave.

“The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable… Dangerous crossings must stop immediately,” said EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

In a letter on Saturday, Sánchez accused several European governments of acting on the basis of “prejudice and fake news or for their own political interests”.

EU interior ministers will hold extraordinary talks online on Tuesday.

In a separate joint letter on Sunday, 22 out of the 27 EU member states called for “coordinated action and the strengthening of external borders”.

“We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible. And, that a migrant’s illegal entry can turn into legal stay,” they said.

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Border security forces had been unable to keep up: “they’re outnumbered,” said a spokesperson for No Name Kitchen (NNK), one of the few humanitarian groups to have established themselves in the small autonomous city since its first surge of migrant arrivals in 2021.

“There’s many more migrants arriving than there are military personnel at the moment,” she told EUobserver. “They keep coming in, it’s not slowing down.”

"In response to the situation observed in the Ceuta enclave, I gave instructions as of last night to immediately strengthen the controls at the Spanish border. Furthermore, I am activating the Rapid Intervention Border Force for in-depth checks," said French interior minister Laurent Nuñez.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni called for “the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain,” joining a chorus of right-wing leaders in Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic backing Spain's removal from the free-movement zone.

Meloni later suspended Italy's Schengen agreement with Spain on Friday evening, reintroducing border controls for a month.

Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson also called on the Spanish government "to regain control of the situation and fulfil its commitments within Schengen cooperation". If the crisis in Ceuta should affect Sweden's security, Kristersson said Stockholm was ready to take measures.

Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen chimed in, vowing: “In 2027, we will stop this madness and reserve the free movement in Schengen to EU nationals.”

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The European Commission said it is in contact with Spanish and Moroccan authorities.

Brussels has described Morocco as "a key and trusted partner of the EU," noting that cooperation on migration and anti-smuggling has intensified. The EU is now working to upgrade the relationship into a comprehensive and strategic partnership.

The commission also dismissed concerns of closing Spain's Schengen borders since there had yet been "no onward movements to mainland Spain or the European Union," with a commission official telling the press on Friday that the Ceuta issue won't spill over into the bloc since the Ceuta-EU border is "Spain's responsibility."

Morocco is one of the countries included in the EU's 'safe countries' list, meaning that Moroccan nationals won't be considered high-priority asylum applicants, and thus have little chances of acquiring legal status in Ceuta.

"We are in close contact with the Moroccan authorities," the commission official added, expressing the need to continue collaborating along the border in upcoming weeks to ensure the phenomenon doesn't repeat itself.

Madrid's Supreme Court ruling

The Spanish authorities have since deployed the military to the coastal city of 83,500 residents. The leader of Ceuta's government, Juan Jesús Vivas, told journalists that the situation was one of "absolute chaos," with reception facilities overwhelmed, and called for a national state of emergency to be declared.