More than 49,000 migrants have entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the past 24 hours, Spanish officials said, with arrivals coming both by land and by sea.
Local videos and images showed thousands of people swimming into the city on Thursday, while local media reported that crossings continued overnight.
Deaths Reported during Recent Crossings
Officials said at least 18 people have died in recent days while trying to reach the territory.
The influx comes after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that migrants stopped at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish enclave, cannot be summarily returned to Morocco.
Chaotic Scenes at Borders
Spanish local officials had asked Madrid for support following a rise in attempted crossings. On Thursday, chaotic scenes were reported as border controls appeared to break down.
Spain later deployed its armed forces to strengthen security in Ceuta and at its sister city of Melilla. Officials said between 300 and 400 crossings were also reported overnight in Melilla.
Spanish officials said the estimated number entering Ceuta could amount to more than half of the enclave’s population. Ceuta’s population is put at around 83,600 in the latest local figures.
Officials also said that at least 7,000 of those who entered illegally into Ceuta during the last 24 hours were minors.
Spain Says It Is Working With Morocco
Spain’s interior ministry said it was working with Morocco to ensure the return of all people who crossed illegally into Spanish territory “as soon as possible”.
Related article: https://aseannow.com/worldnews/1500-migrants-swim-from-morocco-to-spains-ceuta-in-days-r1597/
If the current figures are accurate, the number entering Ceuta in the past day or so would be the largest since May 2021, when more than 10,000 people crossed into the city.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is due to visit Ceuta later on Friday, as authorities assess the scale of the arrivals and the operational response at the border.
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31 July 2026
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