Ceuta calms after migrant surge as 72 die and Europe border row flares

Ceuta,UPDATED: Aug 2, 2026 18:02 IST

Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, appeared calmer over the weekend after tens of thousands of migrants entered the territory in a sudden border surge earlier this week. While most of them had returned to Morocco by Sunday, Spanish civil guard vessels were still searching nearby waters for bodies, as the crisis continued to weigh on the city and revive a wider debate on immigration in Europe.

At least 72 migrants died, Spanish authorities said on Sunday. Some drowned, while others were killed in a stampede as people tried to cross a breakwater barrier. Shops in Ceuta reopened and residents and tourists were back at open-air terraces, restaurants and cafes, but the city was still dealing with the fallout from the arrivals and the arguments over what led to them.

Most of the 50,000 to 60,000 migrants who arrived on Thursday and Friday, mainly young men, had walked back to Morocco by Sunday, while others tried to stay on by blending in. The arrivals briefly increased Ceuta's population of 84,000 by more than half. Some migrants who returned to Morocco said the border was effectively open and that authorities did little as they watched thousands cross.

Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, a 44-year-old waiter at a fried fish restaurant in the city, said the blame did not lie with those who crossed. "It's not the young men's fault," he said. "If you open the border, of course everyone comes in, but the young men aren't to blame. The authorities are responsible." He said the situation was serious, but added that those who entered had behaved "relatively well". "It could have been much worse," he said.

Over the weekend, far-right and anti-immigrant politicians and right-wing influencers arrived in Ceuta, prompting counter-protests that included members of the city's large Muslim community, many of Moroccan origin. European Parliament member Alvise Prez called on Saturday evening for the remaining migrants to be expelled, but had to take shelter in a bar as angry counter-protesters banged on the windows before police escorted him away.

Among those protesting against Prez was Noor Ahmed, a 20-year-old student from Ceuta, who said such figures were exploiting the situation. "They just want to take advantage of the humanitarian crisis Ceuta is currently experiencing," Ahmed said. On Sunday, Vox leader Santiago Abascal visited the city and blamed the Spanish government for what he called "an invasion". "The frontiers of Ceuta and Melilla are the walls of our home and homeland, and they are not being protected by a corrupt and traitorous government," he said.

The events also put pressure on Ceuta's long-held image as a place where Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus live together. Eva Barrientos, who works at a logistics company and attended Saturday's protest to hear the right-wing speakers, said she believed something similar would happen again. "In Ceuta, we have always lived together. We have four cultures living very well, without any problems," she said. "But the only thing we are realizing now is that there is an enemy within." She also accused some foreign-born residents of being more loyal to Morocco than to Spain.

Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday that he was "following with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, asking God that solutions of peace, stability and justice may be found". As Ceuta reopened and life began to return to its routines, the city was still confronting the deaths, the sharp political reaction and the strain the border surge placed on its social fabric.

With PTI Inputs

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