Spain, Morocco stop rush of migrants as 49,000 cross into Ceuta in a day

CEUTA, Spain/FNIDEQ, Morocco — Spain and Morocco reinforced security along the border fence of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Friday, appearing to have halted mass crossings after about 49,000 people arrived by sea and land in a single day, with at least 19 bodies recovered from the water.

The surge of migrants entering Ceuta, a Spanish-controlled territory on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, triggered political tensions in Europe, with Italy warning it could suspend the European Union’s internal open-border system.

At the entrance to Ceuta, Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon trucks and pushed back groups attempting to cross. The remains of a burned bus and seven vehicles damaged during clashes with crowds could be seen nearby.

Spanish authorities said they would seek to quickly return people who entered illegally, despite a court ruling that placed new limits on special “border rejection” procedures that allow immediate expulsions.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city in northern Morocco, are the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Each city has a population of about 85,000.

Both territories regularly experience attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe, but nearly 50,000 arrivals in a single day appeared unprecedented. Spain described the situation as the country’s biggest migration crisis since at least 2021.

Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres said factors behind the surge may have included a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be immediately returned under special procedures.

Migrants gather near Moroccan border town

Torres said the Spanish government responded quickly to the influx and would continue efforts to return migrants while respecting court rulings and migrants’ rights.

On the Moroccan side of the border, thousands of migrants gathered in the town of Fnideq overnight despite a strengthened security presence that prevented most crossings. Although the border appeared to be sealed, groups moved along the coastline looking for alternative routes around the fence, with some preparing to swim.

“I was late,” said Brahim, 32, who gave only one name. He said he traveled from Tangier hoping to cross through the border gate but found it closed.

Among those attempting to cross were women and children from Morocco and from sub-Saharan African countries.

In a post on X, Spain’s Guardia Civil police association AUGC said there were not enough officers deployed to monitor the fence during Thursday’s surge, leaving them unable to stop the crossings.

“Migratory policies require a deep revision that addresses the reality of the southern border and guarantees respect for the dignity and human rights of migrants and refugees arriving in Ceuta,” several local migrant groups said in a joint statement, adding that resources in the territory were insufficient.

Migration remains a major political issue across Europe, where right-wing parties have gained support since the 2015 migration crisis, when more than a million people crossed the continent, many fleeing war in Syria.

Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government was prepared to take “extraordinary measures” to protect its borders and citizens, including a possible suspension of the Schengen Area agreement with Spain, which allows passport-free travel among participating European countries.

Spain’s Socialist government has maintained a tough stance on illegal crossings while arguing that immigrants contribute to economic growth. It has also backed a mass amnesty program that led hundreds of thousands of people to seek citizenship over the past year.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized Spain’s immigration policy, saying Madrid’s decision to grant citizenship to more than 500,000 irregular migrants was “profoundly wrong” and encouraged human trafficking.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected Tajani’s comments as “inappropriate” and said Spain expected “solidarity and not partisan demagoguery” from its European partners. He said he would summon the Italian ambassador to express Spain’s concerns.

-Reporting by Michael Gore, Ahmed Eljechtimi and Joan Faus; Editing by Peter Graff/Reuters