On Friday, July 31st, 2026, US President Donald Trump and other far-right figures seized on the migration crisis in Spain's Ceuta territory to advance their political messaging on immigration. About 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta within 24 hours, a figure representing approximately 70% of the city's population in North Africa, according to Ceuta's president.

The sudden influx triggered significant disruption and a humanitarian crisis, though the Spanish government reported that over half of the migrants had already returned voluntarily to Morocco the same day.

Speaking at the presidential Camp David retreat in Maryland, Trump described the situation as a "catastrophe" and likened it to an invasion, warning that a similar or worse scenario could happen in the US if Republicans are not elected. He said, "It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people, and that same thing's going to happen to us if the Republicans don't get elected, except worse, much bigger."

The migration surge in Ceuta offers Republicans a political opportunity ahead of the November midterm elections, as polls show Trump's support has dipped into the low 30 percent range while Democrats aim to gain partial control of Congress.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a Trump supporter, attributed the crisis to Spain's policy of granting legal status to hundreds of thousands of migrants already in the country. Meanwhile, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key figure in Trump's anti-migration policies, posted video footage of the Ceuta crisis, asserting that "Democrats will see your home trampled and stolen by invaders and they will rejoice."

Trump's 2024 election victory over Democrat Kamala Harris was partly driven by concerns over uncontrolled migration at the US-Mexico border and his stark warnings about migrants.

The situation in Ceuta remains a focal point for debates on migration policy both in Europe and the US.

Sources