Spain has deployed troops to reinforce security in its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants swam in from Morocco on Thursday.
Local officials said at least 15 people drowned attempting the crossing. Spanish media estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 entered the territory, though the Guardia Civil has not confirmed the figure, reports BBC.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as border controls collapsed, with migrants sliding down embankments and swimming around the jetty marking the frontier.
Spain’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily returned to Morocco. The interior ministry accused trafficking networks of exploiting the ruling to drive “the flow of undocumented migrants.” It said armed forces would back the Civil Guard “to maintain security in the city of Ceuta.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is due in Ceuta Friday, pledging to restore order. Reception centres are overwhelmed, and local leader Juan Jesús Vivas warned resources were stretched beyond capacity.
The surge has sparked political fallout in Europe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she may suspend Schengen open‑border rules with Spain, calling the images from Ceuta “striking” and warning of a “concrete threat” to Europe’s security. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani echoed her remarks.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares dismissed the comments as “improper” and accused Italy of weaponising immigration for political ends.
Reports of clashes emerged Thursday night. In Fnideq, Moroccan authorities used water cannons to deter migrants, while in Melilla, footage showed confrontations at the Beni Ansar border point.
The breach drew comparisons to May 2021, when 8,000 people entered Ceuta in days, heightening tensions with Morocco. Ceuta and Melilla form the EU’s only land border with Africa, and despite reinforced barriers and surveillance, crossings continue.
