Spain has deployed additional troops to Ceuta after tens of thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave from Morocco, overwhelming local authorities and border controls.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed trafficking networks for encouraging the crossings, describing the mass entry as a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.
Local media reported that around 60,000 people entered Ceuta during the surge and that at least 57 died. Spanish authorities gave a lower estimate of approximately 50,000 arrivals.
By Friday evening, officials said more than 48,000 people had voluntarily returned to Morocco. At least 7,000 of those who crossed were estimated to be minors.
The influx followed a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be immediately returned to Morocco. Sánchez said trafficking networks had misrepresented the ruling and spread misleading claims online.
Large groups reportedly reached the border fence and surrounding beaches by swimming or walking along coastal rocks. It remains unclear why Moroccan border forces did not prevent the crossings.
Spain has deployed its armed forces to reinforce security in Ceuta and Melilla, where several hundred additional crossings were reported.
Moroccan authorities are cooperating with Spain in returning migrants who entered irregularly, while Madrid said it would consider strengthening the border.
The surge has also triggered political tensions within Europe. Italy temporarily reintroduced checks on travellers arriving from Spain under the Schengen system, prompting criticism from the Spanish government.
Several European leaders called on Spain and Morocco to restore control of the border, while EU officials described the scenes in Ceuta as unacceptable.
Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish-controlled territories on the North African coast and form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Morocco maintains a territorial claim over both enclaves.
