Ceuta migrant crisis prompts border warnings across Europe

Tens of thousands of migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco this week, overwhelming police and emergency services after swimming around the breakwater at the Tarajal border crossing and entering on foot.

Estimates from Ceuta authorities on Friday suggested as many as 60,000 people had entered the Spanish enclave unlawfully in recent days, most on Thursday. Of those, around 7,000 were thought to be juveniles.

The population of Ceuta is around 83,000.

There were men, women and children among those who crossed, though most appeared to be young men.

By late Friday afternoon, at least 57 people were confirmed to have died in the attempt to swim across, according to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior. Around half returned to Morocco by late Friday, the ministry added.

But the chaotic scenes, widely shared on social media, triggered a backlash from many right-wing governments in Europe and beyond.

On Thursday, Italian ministers including prime minister Georgia Meloni called for Schengen borders to be closed with Spain and France said it would tighten controls at its border crossings with Spain.

Politicians in other countries including Finland and Austria echoed that message, criticising what they said was the “pull factor” created by a Spanish policy aimed at formalising the status of over a million unauthorised migrants already resident in the country.

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage also added his voice to the criticism, as did a White House spokeswoman who blamed the developments on Spain’s “far left” policies.

Elsewhere, there were claims too that Morocco had eased controls around the Ceuta border angered by recent talks between Spain and Algeria.

Spain’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs rejected those assertions and insisted Spain and Morocco maintained excellent relations and were working together to address the crisis.

Speaking in Ceuta on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the mass crossing was “an attack, a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity”.

He blamed people trafficking gangs for “deceiving many young people” and thanked Morocco for its cooperation to ensure migrants were repatriated “as soon as possible”, adding the sea border would be strengthened with new infrastructure.

Later on Friday, Mr Sanchez shared data showing that the number of irregular entries in Spain between 2021 and 2026 was lower than in other European countries.

Spain, for example, had registered 234,760 irregular crossings in that period, compared to 478,600 in Italy, according to Frontex.

“Solidarity and empathy are optional, Mr Sanchez wrote on X.

“Respect for European treaties and data is not.”

The EU has offered Spain the assistance of Frontex and also called on Morocco to work with Spain to address the crisis.

But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen left little doubt as to the gravity with which the EU viewed events in Ceuta.

“The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable,” she said on social media.

“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.”

The developments come after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted trying to enter Ceuta by sea could not be immediately returned to Morocco under special fast-track rules that apply to the Spanish enclave’s land border.

The numbers of people entering by sea since that ruling had increased steadily but surged on Thursday at around midday.

Many of those arriving had sustained injuries from the rocky shoreline and authorities in Ceuta were faced with an immediate humanitarian cris that left emergency services overstretched, with thousands spending the night sleeping on the street.

Authorities in Ceuta asked the Spanish government to declare a national emergency, requesting urgent intervention and the deployment of police and soldiers at the border.

Spain has sent police and army units to reinforce the border.

On Friday, the UK Government offered support to Spain and was liaising to better understand the situation in Ceuta.

“Obviously that’s a matter for the Spanish government first and foremost, but it is a cause for concern,” Prime Minister Andy Burnham said.

“And we are making contact with the Spanish government, the Spanish authorities, to provide support but also to understand the implications of that situation.”

Mr Burnham was also asked about migrant crossings throughout Europe, including over the English Channel to the UK.

“It’s a concerning situation and I know people will see those scenes and want something to be done, more to be done,” he replied.

“What I have done is firstly keep the current Home Secretary (Shabana Mahmood) in place because the plan she has implemented has started to make a difference.”

“Although this is the peak period of the year for crossings, overall the number of crossings is down, the number of removals of people is up.”

“So, there is progress, but we both recognise that we need to do more.”

UK shadow home secretary Chris Philp warned that if the migrants who crossed into Ceuta can access the European continent, then “there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel”.

The Conservative frontbencher said: “The Spanish government should expel them straight back to Morocco and certainly not allow any onto the Spanish mainland.”

“If these illegal immigrants do make it to Spain, then the EU’s borderless Schengen zone means there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel here.”

“Spain’s border crisis could rapidly become our border crisis.”

But Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, stressed “there are no onward movements” toward the European mainland.

“The Schengen Borders Code provides for special rules that apply to Ceuta and Melilla,” he said on social media, referring to a second Spanish north African enclave that also witnessed an increase in migrant numbers in recent days.

“Border checks on persons departing from Ceuta and Melilla remain in force.”

“We welcome the close cooperation between Spain and Morocco to manage the situation and ensure swift returns.”

In Gibraltar, No.6 Convent Place issued a statement expressing solidarity with the people of Ceuta and condolences to the families of those who had died, while stressing there was presently “no cause for alarm” in Gibraltar as a result of the situation on the other side of the strait.

Ceuta’s regional government president Juan Jesus Vivas said 60,000 people entered from Morocco during the border crisis.

Spain’s interior ministry, which had earlier refused to share estimates from the border, released its own figure after Mr Vivas spoke, estimating that 50,000 had crossed into the territory since Thursday.

Around half are thought to have returned to Morocco.