After up to 60,000 migrants streamed into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, most by Saturday (August 1, 2026) have now left, according to officials.
But the scenes have been seized upon by right-wing politicians as showing a weakness in EU border management and raised questions about why Morocco allowed so many migrants to head to Ceuta’s border.
Number of migrants
An estimated 60,000 migrants entered into the territory of Ceuta — whose population is just 84,000 — in less than three days, between Wednesday (July 29, 2026) and Friday (July 31, 2026), Ceuta’s top official, Juan Jesus Vivas, said. The Spanish Interior Ministry put the figure at 50,000.
By late morning Saturday (July 31, 2026), “almost all” had left and the situation in the territory had practically returned to normal, Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said.
The Minister said at least 67 people had died trying to reach Ceuta.
The scale of the influx was far bigger than the last similar event in May 2021, when around 12,000 crossed the border from Morocco into Ceuta over two days, Vivas said at the time.
What is Morocco doing?
Ignacio Cembrero, a Spanish journalist specialised in migration in North Africa, said it appeared Moroccan security forces had been “sitting on their hands” since Wednesday (July 29, 2026).
“To reach the breakwater that marks the border between Ceuta and Morocco, there are cordons of police and auxiliary forces, and it’s obvious they’ve been allowed through,” he said.
Why now?
It was not clear why this suddenly happened now.
One possible reason for the time could be Spain’s Supreme Court ruling on July 8 that migrants arriving by sea should not be returned as quickly as others.
“Without a doubt, the July 8 ruling… has played a role,” Cembrero said. “But that doesn’t explain the level of mobilisation.”
Others have suggested the Spanish government’s relatively open migration policy could have played a part.
Leverage for Morocco?
Some analysts say Morocco is using the migration issue as a tool of diplomatic pressure.
Morocco has claimed sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla since its independence in 1956 — Spain has flatly rejected any talks to change the status quo.
Cembrero said Morocco had “seen an opportunity” to force Spain to negotiate.
Can the migrants travel to the rest of the EU?
No. Spanish officials stressed that, under Schengen Area rules, Ceuta and another enclave, Melilla, have specific procedures in place applying border controls for anybody boarding air or sea transport to mainland Europe.
Irregular entry into Ceuta does not confer a right to remain in Spain, travel to the mainland, or move freely throughout Europe, they said.
None of the people who entered Ceuta irregularly left the city for the European mainland, nor would they be able to, the officials said.
Other countries’ reactions
Despite the barrier to any of the migrants heading to mainland Europe, Italy announced on Friday (July 31, 2026) that it was temporarily suspending Schengen rules allowing border-free travel with Spain.
The decision has been slammed by Madrid, and its practical effect remains unclear, as Italy and Spain do not share a border. Legal experts consulted by AFP said the move by Rome’s right-wing government was impossible to implement under the current legal framework.
France and Britain have expressed “solidarity” with Spain. But France also announced a five-fold increase in the number of police at the border it shares with Spain.
Portugal also said it would beef up controls at its southern land and maritime borders.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made anti-immigration policies a centrepiece of his time in the White House, on Friday (July 31, 2026) called the migrant inflow into Ceuta a “catastrophe” and an “invasion”.
He sought to tie it to mid-term elections he faces in November, saying, “That same thing’s going to happen to us if the Republicans don’t get elected, except worse, much bigger.”
Published – August 01, 2026 05:53 pm IST