Authorities in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta have raised the alarm after thousands of migrants breached the border from neighboring Morocco in recent days. The government of Ceuta reported on Thursday, July 30th, 2026, that between 1,500 and 2,000 people had entered the territory over the past 10 days in attempts to reach Europe.

Hundreds more migrants were estimated to have arrived on the same day, leading regional President Jesus Vivas to declare an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency” and to call on Madrid to deploy troops to regain control of the border.

Migrant rights activist Zakaria Zarroqui told the Reuters news agency that the current surge in migrant numbers is reminiscent of a similar event in May 2021, when approximately 10,000 Moroccan and sub-Saharan youths entered the enclave within days.

Spain’s Interior Ministry stated it is working closely with Morocco to address the increase in irregular arrivals. The ministry blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting a Supreme Court ruling, which they say encourages undocumented migration.

This development comes amid broader regional concerns, including protests in Libya against undocumented migrants and appeals for migrant protection by Pope Leo during his visit to Lampedusa.

Sources