Thousands enter Ceuta from Morocco as Spain faces fresh border pressure

Madrid,UPDATED: Jul 30, 2026 22:50 IST

Thousands of migrants have entered Ceuta, the small Spanish territory in North Africa, from Morocco, leading local officials to seek help from Spain's national government to restore order at the border. Spain's Interior Ministry said it would ensure the safety of citizens and protect the border, but added that the government could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns.

The latest crossing came a day after a rise in attempts by migrants to reach Ceuta, mostly by swimming. It was not immediately clear what caused so many people to cross into the enclave.

Videos and images from the frontier showed crowds, mainly Moroccans, moving around breakwaters at an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco and onto local roads. Most appeared to be young men, though families with women and children were also seen.

Ceuta and the larger Spanish territory of Melilla, about 400 kilometres further south, lie on the northern Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa. Both are autonomous Spanish cities and form the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Ceuta, under Spanish control since 1580, has a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, as well as Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers. Morocco does not officially recognise Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory and often describes them as occupied lands.

The city of about 85,000 people has been at the centre of diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat in recent years. Ceuta receives thousands of day workers who cross from Morocco each day to earn a living. In May 2021, Morocco relaxed its border controls and about 8,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries entered Ceuta in two days. The move was widely seen as retaliation after Spain allowed a pro-independence leader from the disputed Western Sahara region to receive Covid-19 treatment at a Spanish hospital. Tensions eased and the border was restored only after Spain's prime minister changed Spain's long-held position on Western Sahara and met Moroccan King Mohammed VI the following year.

Spain remains a main entry point into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or fleeing violence in their home countries. Ceuta and Melilla are heavily fortified because they are seen as destinations for people trying to reach Spain from Morocco and other parts of Africa. Many migrants who reach the two territories are immediately turned back, while others kept in migrant shelters are processed and can apply for asylum in Spain.

To reach Ceuta, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Castillejos, covering about 5 kilometres to enter Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter. Even so, migrant arrivals to Ceuta and Melilla are generally far lower than those reaching Spain through its airports or via the Canary and Balearic Islands. Spain's immigrant population has grown sharply in recent decades, with around 10 million of the country's 50 million people born elsewhere, many of them from Colombia, Venezuela and Morocco, and employed in sectors such as agriculture, tourism and services.

The latest arrivals have once again put Ceuta at the centre of Spain's migration and diplomatic challenges, with local authorities asking Madrid for support as crossings from Morocco continue to test the border.

With PTI Inputs

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