Spain sends military to Ceuta after thousands cross from Morocco

Ceuta,UPDATED: Jul 31, 2026 01:24 IST

Spain said on Thursday that it will deploy the military to help restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants entered the small Spanish territory. The move came as at least nine people died during the attempt and local authorities asked Madrid for reinforcements to handle a crisis that had been building for days.

The government said the Armed Forces would help the Civil Guard "to maintain security in the city of Ceuta". It also said Prime Minister Pedro Snchez would visit Ceuta on Friday with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Rachid Sbihi, who heads the association representing Spain's Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, told The Associated Press: "The situation is absolute chaos." He added, "It's not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing," and said the border had "totally collapsed". Achraf Maimouni of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco described the situation as "exceptional". He said, "The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed."

Video showed large crowds, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach and onto local roads. While most appeared to be young men, there were also families, women and small children. Some shouted "Viva Espaa!" to a freelance photographer working for AP. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many people to cross. Ceuta's government delegation said at least nine people died during the chaos on Thursday. It did not give details, but bodies could be seen floating in the water. Local authorities say dozens have died this year trying to reach Ceuta.

The latest escalation followed a rise in attempts to reach Ceuta on Wednesday, mainly by swimming. Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and the interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Spain's Interior Ministry said Morocco was "closely cooperating" with Spain and that Moroccan police were stopping "numerous people" trying to cross. The two countries also agreed to work together "for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally".

Ceuta's regional government chief Juan Jess Vivas asked the national government to declare an emergency on grounds of national security, seeking more police and asking for the army to be sent to the border "to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety". He had warned on Wednesday that reception centres were overwhelmed and that hundreds were sleeping on the streets after more than 1,500 migrants entered the territory in the past week. Thousands more crossed overnight and on Thursday. Spain's Interior Ministry would not confirm the total number of arrivals in recent days, saying its next migration report would be published on August 3. Ministry figures show that by July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year. The ministry also said migration flows are not treated under the law as a national security risk for declaring a national emergency, and that government agencies were "coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta".

Ceuta authorities had earlier linked the increase to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling this month that migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately sent back without due process, unlike those who enter by land, such as by climbing the border fence. But some activists in Morocco doubted that this ruling was the reason, saying most migrants were unlikely to know about such legal decisions. Spain remains a main entry point into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or fleeing violence. To reach Ceuta on the northern African coast, many swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, about 5 kilometres away, while others try from nearby Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

The scenes recalled the May 2021 border crisis, when more than 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta in two days. At that time, Morocco was accused of easing border controls after Spain allowed Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to be treated at a Spanish hospital, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid. For now, Spain has moved to reinforce Ceuta's border as authorities deal with a sharp rise in arrivals, deaths during the crossing, and pressure on local services.

With PTI Inputs

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