Newsinc24 Team 
Some 60,000 migrants have entered Spain’s Ceuta from Morocco in the past 24 hours, Ceuta’s president says. That is equivalent to 70% of the city’s regular population. leader of the Spanish exclave in North Africa, Juan Jesus Vivas, told reporters on Friday – more than half of Ceuta's population. At least 34 migrants have died in the process. “The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable,” said Juan Jesús Vivas. Many appear to have drowned trying to swim around the frontier, or were crushed to death in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal beach, humanitarian workers said.
In a visit to the city, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday condemned the breach of the border, describing the events as "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity”. The Spanish leader cast blame on human smugglers, saying they “deceive so many young people, and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths — whether in the ocean or, as in this case, at Spain’s border in the autonomous city of Ceuta.” Hundreds of migrants gathered on a hill overlooking Ceuta being dispersed with tear gas by Moroccan forces, while others continued to swim to the Spanish territory.
Invaders from Morocco attempt to cross into Ceuta this morning.
— Jammles (@jammles9) July 31, 2026
They are being stopped by water cannons. pic.twitter.com/3xJ3XV7t4J
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis”. “People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts,” he said. Without shelter, thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, with others roaming the streets aimlessly, he said. Ahmed Karim, a 33-year old Moroccan, said he had crossed into Ceuta because of the lack of jobs in his country.
“Many people want to go to Europe, America, but they don’t have the opportunity,” Karim said. On Friday morning, the waters near the border fence were littered with buoys, shoes and other belongings left behind.Moroccan police deployed additional personnel, used water cannons and fired warning shots into the air to prevent migrants from crossing into Ceuta, according to rights groups in Morocco.
Sánchez has bucked the anti-migration trend that has gained ground across Europe and in the U.S.. While the Trump administration and other European countries have tightened their borders and stepped up deportations, Spain earlier this year moved to give residency and work permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants already living in the country without permission. Sánchez, a Socialist, argued that it would be good for the economy and the demographics of an aging Spain. Migrants who entered irregularly after January 1, 2026, were not included.
The chaos had ripple effects abroad as well. Premier Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border Schengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens,” even though Italy doesn’t share a border with Spain and is also a main entry point for tens of thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa each year. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would also strengthen border checks with Spain, writing on X that he had activated the Rapid Intervention Border Force.In 2021, more than 10,000 migrants reached Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco over the course of two days, taking advantage of a loosening of border controls by Rabat during a crisis between the two countries.
