Around 25,000 migrants returned to Morocco after mass border crossing into Ceuta
Spanish authorities said most of the 60,000 people who crossed had already returned to Morocco as deaths rose to 57, officials said.
- On Friday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta after about 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco since Thursday, equivalent to 70% of the city's population. Sánchez condemned the breach as "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity."
- Officials in Madrid attributed the surge to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that prevents summary deportation of sea-based arrivals. Sánchez claimed smugglers misinterpreted this decision, causing the mass arrival to spread "like wildfire" through trafficking networks.
- At least 41 migrants died attempting the crossing, with some drowning and others killed in a stampede at Tarajal beach. Civil Guard representative Rachid Sbihi described the situation as a "serious humanitarian crisis," noting thousands including unaccompanied children were left sleeping in parks.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanded smuggling networks be dismantled, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Schengen agreements. Spanish politician Isabel Díaz Ayuso accused the government of allowing Spain to be "invaded."
- Migrants also attempted to breach Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave, where clashes with police erupted. Officials estimate that roughly 25,000 of the arrivals in Ceuta have already returned to Morocco as repatriation efforts continue.
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337 Articles
Over the past few days, according to Spain, at least 50,000 migrants entered the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Just as quickly as they arrived, most disappeared again. This is what happened yesterday during the mass crossing to Ceuta. Many thousands of migrants streamed into the Spanish autonomous city, most from the Moroccan city of Fnideq. They swam, arrived by boat, or climbed over fences. During the stampede, 57 migrants lost their …
Spain's Ceuta migration influx: What we know
MADRID, Spain — The sudden arrival of 60,000 migrants into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco has triggered a political crisis in Madrid and other European capitals. How many arrived? Some 60,000 migrants entered into the territory of 84,000 in less than three days, Ceuta’s top official Juan Jesus Vivas said. The Spanish interior ministry said more than 48,000 of those who had arrived illegally in Ceuta had returned to Morocco. …
An Argentine marriage tells from Ceuta how they experienced the sudden influx of migrants that spilled over the enclave; peaceful crowds and gestures of solidarity
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