At least 57 people have died after an estimated 50,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
The latest surge overwhelmed the tiny North African territory and triggered an emergency political response across Europe.
Spain’s government confirmed the death toll on Friday evening with regional president Juan Jesus Vivas, putting the total number of arrivals at around 60,000.
He said some deaths occurred when people drowned while swimming around a border barrier, while others were crushed in a stampede at Tarajal beach near a checkpoint with Morocco.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived in Ceuta on Friday morning, where he was met by angry protesters.
He described the crossings as a “violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” and said all available government resources were being mobilised.
Sánchez attributed the surge to human trafficking networks that had exploited a recent Supreme Court ruling barring authorities from immediately returning migrants who arrive by sea without due process.
He said the ruling had been misrepresented and spread rapidly through smuggling networks.
“That interpretation spread like wildfire in recent hours,” Sánchez said.
Sánchez announced plans to establish a temporary reception centre for processing and expedited removal of those with no legal claim to remain in Spain, as well as a line of buoys near Tarajal beach to demarcate the border.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said around 48,300 people had voluntarily returned to Morocco by 6pm on Friday.
“Honestly, I don’t even know why I came, and now I’m going back,” a Moroccan man said.
Morocco deployed riot police, water cannon, and tear gas to push crowds back from the border gates as charred remains of a bus and seven cars remained visible near the crossing from earlier clashes.
EU response and border tensions
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described images from Ceuta as “unacceptable,” calling for smuggling networks to be dismantled and for swift returns in line with EU rules.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the quintupling of police presence on the Spanish border and the activation of a rapid intervention border force.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Schengen arrangements with Spain, prompting Madrid to summon the Italian ambassador.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he welcomed Spain’s stated intention to prevent undocumented migrants from reaching the European mainland.
The Irish EU presidency convened an emergency meeting under the Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism, with a further gathering of EU ambassadors scheduled in Brussels.
The scale of the incident far exceeds the last comparable episode in May 2021, when approximately 10,000 people crossed into Ceuta over two days following a diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Rabat over the Western Sahara issue.
Ceuta and Melilla together constitute the EU’s only land borders with Africa and have long been flashpoints for migration pressure from the African continent.
MSN
