Watch: Thousands swim into Spain’s Ceuta from Morocco. Why the border collapsed today
Spain Ceuta migrant crisis intensified after thousands crossed from Morocco, prompting emergency appeals and raising concerns over border security and humanitarian response.
Thousands of migrants streamed into Spain’s territory of Ceuta in the North African enclave from Morocco on Thursday, triggering local officials to call on Madrid to declare a national emergency and send the military to restore the border frontier.
The territory’s leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, said the influx of migrants from Morocco is overwhelming the resources and called on the government in Spain to intervene in the matter, BBC reported. The report added that Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is expected to visit Ceuta on Friday.
Thousands of migrants from Morocco poured over the country’s border with Spain and into the country’s African enclave of Ceuta after swimming around border barriers to reach the territory.
The latest wave comes after more than 1,500 migrants arrived in Ceuta by sea over the past… pic.twitter.com/kETfPOPTbO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 30, 2026
Declining the requests of Ceuta’s local officials to announce a national emergency over the migrant crisis, Spain’s interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border.
“The situation is absolute chaos. It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” said Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, adding that the border has “totally collapsed,” AP reported.
Sánchez es un traidor, un corrupto y un indecente. Actúa como el enemigo del pueblo español. La emergencia nacional solo puede resolverse echándole y sentándole en el banquillo.#Ceuta pic.twitter.com/yLicTcD6hU
— Santiago Abascal 🇪🇸 (@Santi_ABASCAL) July 30, 2026
Videos of the migrants entering the Spanish territory on Thursday have gone viral on social media, showing them using inflatable rings and other devices to float and swim into Ceuta, while others were seen running through a gate located in the border fence.
The scene appeared to be reminiscent of the migrant crossing in May 2021, when around 10,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta.
According to a Guardia Civil spokesperson, the migrants were “massively entering from the sea” through the Tarajal breakwater. Reuters, quoting Spain’s state television TVE, reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed into Ceuta.
Ceuta is situated on Morocco’s northern coast and is separated from Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar, and has long been a hub for migrants who are trying to reach Europe.
For migrants who are seeking better financial opportunities or an escape from violence in their home country, Spain becomes the focal point of entry to Europe.
Several migrants who are successful in reaching Ceuta, or its sister city Melilla, are returned immediately by the authorities. A few of those held in migrant shelters are processed and can apply for asylum in Spain, AP reported.
The escalation of migrant influx at the border between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants trying to reach the small exclave, and a vast majority doing so via swimming.
An AP report stated that at least three people were killed while trying to enter Ceuta by sea.
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Thousands of migrants streamed into Spain’s territory of Ceuta in the North African enclave from Morocco on Thursday, triggering local officials to call on Madrid to declare a national emergency and send the military to restore the border frontier.
The territory’s leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, said the influx of migrants from Morocco is overwhelming the resources and called on the government in Spain to intervene in the matter, BBC reported. The report added that Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is expected to visit Ceuta on Friday.
Thousands of migrants from Morocco poured over the country’s border with Spain and into the country’s African enclave of Ceuta after swimming around border barriers to reach the territory.
The latest wave comes after more than 1,500 migrants arrived in Ceuta by sea over the past… pic.twitter.com/kETfPOPTbO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 30, 2026
Declining the requests of Ceuta’s local officials to announce a national emergency over the migrant crisis, Spain’s interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border.
“The situation is absolute chaos. It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” said Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, adding that the border has “totally collapsed,” AP reported.
Sánchez es un traidor, un corrupto y un indecente. Actúa como el enemigo del pueblo español. La emergencia nacional solo puede resolverse echándole y sentándole en el banquillo.#Ceuta pic.twitter.com/yLicTcD6hU
— Santiago Abascal 🇪🇸 (@Santi_ABASCAL) July 30, 2026
Videos of the migrants entering the Spanish territory on Thursday have gone viral on social media, showing them using inflatable rings and other devices to float and swim into Ceuta, while others were seen running through a gate located in the border fence.
The scene appeared to be reminiscent of the migrant crossing in May 2021, when around 10,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta.
According to a Guardia Civil spokesperson, the migrants were “massively entering from the sea” through the Tarajal breakwater. Reuters, quoting Spain’s state television TVE, reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed into Ceuta.
Ceuta is situated on Morocco’s northern coast and is separated from Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar, and has long been a hub for migrants who are trying to reach Europe.
For migrants who are seeking better financial opportunities or an escape from violence in their home country, Spain becomes the focal point of entry to Europe.
Several migrants who are successful in reaching Ceuta, or its sister city Melilla, are returned immediately by the authorities. A few of those held in migrant shelters are processed and can apply for asylum in Spain, AP reported.
The escalation of migrant influx at the border between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants trying to reach the small exclave, and a vast majority doing so via swimming.
An AP report stated that at least three people were killed while trying to enter Ceuta by sea.
