Estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s Ceuta, with at least 34 dead, local leader says
Speaking shortly after Sánchez, Ceuta’s regional president Juan Jesús Vivas also offered his take on the events of the last 24 hours.
He said that the latest estimates show that “around 60,000 people have entered our city” as part of the influx.
That’s almost two-thirds of the city’s ordinary population.
“Clearly, this figure demonstrates the impossibility of absorbing such pressure,” he said.
Furthermore, at least 34 people are believed to have died trying to cross into Ceuta, he said.
He urged the government to act “decisively and immediately” to respond to the challenge.
Key events
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What do we know so far on Ceuta migration crisis
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Migration is where political narratives often clash with legal reality – snap analysis
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Spain says 25,000 migrants returned from Ceuta to Morocco today
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Former Spanish senior EU official dismisses Italy’s call to suspend Spain’s Schengen status
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Where is Ceuta? – locator map
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Estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s Ceuta, with at least 34 dead, local leader says
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‘Protecting borders crucial for combating illegal migration,’ Germany’s Merz says
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‘Images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
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Ceuta crisis may be linked to diplomatic issues between Spain and Morocco – snap analysis
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Sánchez blames human trafficking gangs for ‘violations’ in Ceuta
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Spain to set up temporary centre in Ceuta to send back migrants with no legal claim, says Sánchez
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Migration crisis in Ceuta ‘a violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty’
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Spain’s Sánchez address media on migration crisis in Ceuta
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Spain needs to ‘act swiftly to regain control of the situation,’ Swedish PM says
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France to strengthen controls at French-Spanish border in response to Ceuta crossings, minister says
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Le Pen, Barnier call for France to strengthen border controls in response to Spain migration crisis
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Spanish opposition calls on Sánchez to ‘defend our national security’
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49,000 people believed to cross into Ceuta, more than half of its population
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Morning opening: Spain faces migration crisis in north African enclave of Ceuta
What do we know so far on Ceuta migration crisis
Jakub Krupa
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Some 60,000 people are locally estimated to have crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours, as part of an attempt to overwhelm the Spanish border (13:46).
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At least 34 people reportedly died during the surge.
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Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said the crossings violated Spain’s territorial integrity, as he blamed human trafficking gangs for wilfully misleading people about changes to Spain’s migration rules and triggering the border run (12:51, 12:54, 13:17).
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Some 25,000 people voluntarily returned to Morocco on Friday, the Spanish interior ministry said, as authorities pledged to crack down on illegal migration and expedite returns (12:57).
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The crisis prompted critical reactions from across the EU, with Italy leading the controversial calls to suspend Spain’s status in the Schengen area until the situation improves (9:42, 13:52).
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The EU has called the situation “unacceptable,” and insisted that “returns must be swift, as our rules allow,” pledging to help Spain deal with the crisis (13:25).
Belgium’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Maxime Prévot is one of the European leaders trying to strike a rather more helpful tone as he says that “when a member state … comes under pressure, it’s a European issue.”
In a post on X, he says:
“Belgium is monitoring the situation in Ceuta closely.
When a Member State situated at the external border comes under such pressure, it is a European issue, not purely a Spanish one.
At times like these, Spain must ensure that its borders are protected and be able to count on the involvement of both the European authorities and those of Morocco.
The protection of Europe’s external borders remains a priority for the Belgian government. Controlling the borders, taking a firmer stance towards illegal migrants and dismantling the business model of people-smugglers is not at odds with a humane approach: it is a prerequisite for it.
The Spanish authorities, with whom I have been in contact this morning, and the European Commission are taking the necessary measures to manage the situation, in coordination with Morocco, including return mechanisms for those who have crossed the border illegally, in addition to voluntary returns to Morocco, which appear to be already taking place.”
Migration is where political narratives often clash with legal reality – snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
Some of the European reactions to this migration crisis in Ceuta – playing on voters’s concerns that the new arrivals would now be free to travel onwards within the EU – seem to ignore a fairly important caveat in Spain’s Schengen rules.
Under the 1990 deal on Spain joining the Schengen agreement, the two north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are covered by a special regime, with Spain responsible for maintaining another round of border checks before travellers enter mainland Spain or any other EU country.
The relevant clauses say:
“Pursuant to its national law and in order to verify whether passengers still satisfy the conditions laid down in Article 5 of the 1990 Convention on the basis which they were authorised to enter national territory upon passport control at the external border, Spain shall maintain checks (on identity and documents) on sea and air connections departing from Ceuta and Melilla and having as their sole destination any other place on Spanish territory.
To the same end, Spain shall maintain checks on internal flights and on regular ferry connections departing from the towns of Ceuta and Melilla to a destination in another State party to the Convention.”
This obviously does not lessen the legal, political and humanitarian challenges facing Spain. The government in Madrid will need to decide how to respond to the tens of thousands of new arrivals in Ceuta, and will probably seek to facilitate their return to Morocco – either voluntarily or through legal channels – as the sheer scale of the influx makes it nearly impossible for them to remain in the enclave.
But despite the tone coming from the likes of France and Italy, this also does not mean new arrivals automatically are already within the Schengen area in the way most people – and voters – understand it.
Or to put it simply: the new arrivals do not get the right to travel freely to the rest of the EU – say, France, Germany or Italy – and would still have to face another border check before they can leave Ceuta for mainland Spain or any other part of the EU.
This is presumably why we have seen some unusually strong language from Spain’s foreign minister earlier today, angrily accusing Italy of trying to score political points on the back of their problems (9:42).
With France, Italy and Spain all set to have closely contested elections in 2027 in which migration is likely to feature heavily, it’s perhaps not surprising to see politicians get involved in that sort of politicised commentary as they feel domestic political pressures and need to respond to their voters’s fears.
But it’s worth keeping in mind that the legal situation is (as often) a bit more complex.
Spain says 25,000 migrants returned from Ceuta to Morocco today
Spain’s interior ministry said around 25,000 migrants are believed to have returned from Ceuta to Morocco today as part of a Spanish effort to reverse last night’s migratory flows across the border.
If confirmed, that would be almost half of all those believed to have crossed, given that the latest estimates from local authorities put the figure at about 60,000 people (13:46).
But there are some obvious problems with offering detailed estimates offered during an ongoing emergency, so it is probably worth treating all of these numbers with some caution.
Former Spanish senior EU official dismisses Italy’s call to suspend Spain’s Schengen status
The EU’s former foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell Fontelles, dismissed calls to suspend Spain’s Schengen status, saying it’s impossible under the EU law.
In very pointed criticism of Italy’s request for such a suspension (9:42), the Spanish politician and former senior EU official stressed:
“Under EU law, no Member State can unilaterally suspend another’s participation in Schengen.”
He added:
“This is worth unpacking as it is quite revealing of how EU governments are learning to understand, talk, use and abuse the EU’s legal order in manifest breach of the principle of loyal cooperation that binds them.”
Where is Ceuta? – locator map
Estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s Ceuta, with at least 34 dead, local leader says
Speaking shortly after Sánchez, Ceuta’s regional president Juan Jesús Vivas also offered his take on the events of the last 24 hours.
He said that the latest estimates show that “around 60,000 people have entered our city” as part of the influx.
That’s almost two-thirds of the city’s ordinary population.
“Clearly, this figure demonstrates the impossibility of absorbing such pressure,” he said.
Furthermore, at least 34 people are believed to have died trying to cross into Ceuta, he said.
He urged the government to act “decisively and immediately” to respond to the challenge.
‘Protecting borders crucial for combating illegal migration,’ Germany’s Merz says
The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also spoke about the situation in Ceuta.
In a statement, he said:
“Protecting the external borders of the European Union is crucial for combating illegal migration. I have a clear expectation that all EU member states will fulfil this obligation. We are in contact with the Spanish government on this matter.
Spain wants and needs to get the situation in Ceuta under control as quickly as possible. I therefore welcome Spain’s intention not to allow illegal migrants onto the European continent.
We expect Morocco to take back the illegal migrants immediately. I
t is good that the European Commission and Commissioner Magnus Brunner have pledged their support for this. The return regulation adopted in June must now be implemented immediately and fully.”
‘Images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
Meanwhile, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also responded to the crisis, saying “the images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.”
“We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules. Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled.
And returns must be swift, as our rules allow. I tasked two Commissioners to support to control the situation.
@magnusbrunner is already working closely with Spain and is ready to travel to critical points. He will work on additional operational support to Spain, including through Frontex.
@dubravkasuica is in contact with her Moroccan counterpart.
I am confident that our close partnership with Morocco will help deliver concrete results.”
Ceuta crisis may be linked to diplomatic issues between Spain and Morocco – snap analysis
Alex Olorenshaw
There is also a further diplomatic angle to the current crisis.
Morocco’s authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the flow of migrants, and it is not yet clear what prompted the surge in crossings or how hard authorities on the Moroccan side tried to prevent it.
However, it could be linked to the rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, and a recent trip by the Spanish prime minister to Algiers.
The last mass border crossing, in May 2021, took place after Morocco loosened border controls during a diplomatic row with Spain over Spain’s decision to allow the leader of the Western Sahara independence movement, the Polisario Front, to be treated for Covid-19 in Spain.
Morocco and the Polisario Front both lay claim to Western Sahara, which was under Spanish rule until 1975, when colonial authorities handed over the territory to Morocco and Mauritania.
That diplomatic crisis ended in 2022 when Madrid reversed its longstanding policy of neutrality and backed Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara – a move that had caused a diplomatic rift between Madrid and Algiers, which had supported the Polisario group.
The Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez visited Algiers on 20 July – the first such visit by a Spanish head of government in four years – marking a thaw in relations with Algeria.
Sánchez blames human trafficking gangs for ‘violations’ in Ceuta
Sánchez’s line is clear: the migration crisis in Ceuta is a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty, driven by human traffickers wilfully misleading migrants about the legal situation following a recent ruling by the Spanish supreme court.
He says human traffickers are spreading a “self-serving” and misleading interpretation of the Spanish supreme court’s recent ruling on push backs to drive migratory flows.
The court said earlier this month that immediate returns of migrants crossing the border illegally did not apply to those arriving by sea – but with some important caveats that say they cannot “overcome the established border containment elements.”
Sánchez’s fully intends to confront the gangs over that and protect Spain’s internal security, just as the government would over in Madrid, he says.
The authorities will further adapt the border – for example, introducing more visible barriers to mark the border; a point specifically mentioned in the court’s ruling – to further tighten their case vis a vis the court’s ruling and thus enable repatriations.
Making the most of Ceuta’s unique geographical position – or to put it bluntly, that they have nowhere further to go – the migrants will be told to return across the border or face formal proceedings.
The government will also look at whether it needs to change some laws to guarantee the repatriation of those involved.
In the Q&A, Sánchez gets asked about his expected timeline for resolving the crisis.
He says local police and border forces have been instructed to tell migrants to withdraw and cross the border back to Morocco.
At the same time, they will expedite the process for formal expulsions where needed.
Sánchez ends his statement repeating his commitment to respond to the situation, so that “Ceuta can urgently return to normal life.”
He says Spain will “defend the security and social harmony in Ceuta” just as it would in Madrid.
He also says the Spanish government will look into how it can help small businesses that felt they were forced to temporarily close as a result of the challenges related to the current crisis.
Spain to set up temporary centre in Ceuta to send back migrants with no legal claim, says Sánchez
Sánchez says a temporary reception centre will be established to facilitate documentation, registration, triage and “expedited” expulsion of people with no legal claim to be in Spain.
He says the government will also add a visible barrier – a line of buoys – near the breakwater to make it clear where the border is to legally comply with the court’s ruling.
He says this will help with border repatriations while fully complying with the court’s decision – as he notes that many of them are already voluntarily leaving.
He says Spain will work closely with Morocco on this.
Sánchez says the recent Spanish supreme court ruling on people intercepted while trying to enter Ceuta and Melilla by sea appeared to have driven the mass crossing.
He says a “self-serving” interpretation of the ruling has “spread like wildfire” within human trafficking networks, with a “surge” in attempted crossings after the ruling.
He says the current crisis is in sharp contrast to the government’s sustained success in reducing irregular migration.
Migration crisis in Ceuta ‘a violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty’
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez calls last night’s escalation “an attack and a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty.”
He calls it “deplorable,” and says it deserves “our strongest possible condemnation.”
He says the government will use “all the mechanisms and resources available to the state” to resolve the situation.
Spain’s Sánchez address media on migration crisis in Ceuta
Sánchez is speaking now.
I will bring you the key lines here.
