Spain deploys army to Moroccan colony after mass influx of refugees

Spain has deployed the military after up to 50,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta, a common crossing point and Spanish colonial enclave on the north African coast. Authorities are tightlipped about the mass crossing but up to 34 people are reported to have died.

Time magazine reported:

While surges in illegal crossings have happened before in Ceuta, it’s unclear what caused the recent one.

Thousands of migrants have streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa from Morocco, prompting local officials to call for help from Spain’s national government in Madrid to restore the border. pic.twitter.com/S2fTWapBzR

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 30, 2026

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CBS News said:

At least 34 migrants died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta as tens of thousands of people breached the frontier with Morocco and poured into the tiny Spanish territory, prompting Spain to deploy its military to restore the border.

Spain: contested territories

Ceuta sits on the north African side of the Strait of Gibraltar. It is one of two Spanish territories contested by Morocco. Spain has controlled the city since 1580. One million Muslims and Christians live and work in the enclave. Many Moroccans cross into the city for day work.

Clash Report showed images it suggested were of Moroccan police standing by while migrants headed to the frontier:

WATCH: Video appears to show Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie standing by as trucks carrying young men unload near the Spanish border during yesterday’s Ceuta migration surge.pic.twitter.com/NfvKzyp5QG

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 31, 2026

Time reported:

Ceuta has long been considered a gateway for migrants seeking better lives in Europe, and the city has progressively fortified its border in response to perennial illegal border crossings.

But Thursday saw a yet-to-be-explained surge: come Friday morning, Spain’s interior ministry estimated that some 49,000 migrants rushed into Ceuta in the previous 24 hours, though the government statement was later removed without explanation.

Ceuta president Juan Jesús Vivas said:

The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable.

The new normal?

Both Spain and Morocco called for a return to “normalcy”. Morocco any of it encouraged its citizens who’d crossed to return home.

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez struck a belligerent tone:

The Government of Spain stands with the city of Ceuta. … What happened yesterday [was] an attack, a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.

Ceuta is a Spanish city, and what happened yesterday deserves our full reproach, our condemnation at the strongest possible level of rejection, condemnation, and consideration as deplorable.”

Reception centres were reportedly overwhelmed in the city.

Meanwhile Italy’s far-right PM Giorgia Meloni threatened:

to suspend Italy’s open-border Schengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens.

As CBS pointed out:

Italy doesn’t share a border with Spain.

Scenes like this have become increasingly common as desperate people try escape war and poverty. As climate change, hardening borders, and reactionary authoritarianism continue to bite, they aren’t likely to decline. More than ever we need a civilised and humane response to people’s plight.

Featured image via the Canary

By Joe Glenton

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