Donald Trump has criticised the “catastrophe” in the Spanish enclave of Cueta, which has been dealing with the mass influx of 60,000 migrants from Morocco.
The US president told a cabinet meeting: “I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country.
“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, much easier to get into.”
His comments echo others made by senior US officials, with the US department of state placing the blame on the socialist administration of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
“This unacceptable incident is the direct result of the Spanish Government’s deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe,” they said.
Meanwhile, Italy is suspending the EU's border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain, and has agreed to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian land border to try to prevent any undocumented migrants from crossing.
Thousands of migrants have made the journey in the past few days, with Spanish troops deployed to battle the growing crisis on the border.
At least 57 people died while attempting to cross.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city in northern Morocco, represents the European Union's only land border with Africa.
Key Points
- Trump administration and House Speaker claim 'socialists are ruining Spain'
- Italy suspends EU Schengen free-travel pact with Spain over Ceuta crisis
- Death toll in Ceuta migrant crisis jumps to 57
- PM Pedro Sánchez calls Ceuta crisis 'violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty'
- France to strengthen controls at border with Spain
- Spain to speed up repatriation of migrants in Ceuta
JD Vance claims crisis is result of 'radical left-wing globalist policies'
08:25 , Holly Evans
The US vice president has claimed that the migrant crisis in Cueta is a consequence of “radical left-wing globalist policies”, in a criticism of Pedro Sanchez’s government.
JD Vance wrote on X: “These images out of Spain are an unfortunate reminder of the consequences of mass migration and the radical left-wing globalist policies that have enabled the Invasion of the West.”
Thank God @POTUS was elected and our country’s border no longer looks like this.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 31, 2026
These images out of Spain are an unfortunate reminder of the consequences of mass migration and the radical left-wing globalist policies that have enabled the Invasion of the West.@BillMelugin_:… pic.twitter.com/b67fR3SEof
Russia 'using Ceuta crisis to sow destabilisation' across Europe
08:00 , Shweta Sharma
Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out an “intensive propaganda campaign” using pictures from Ceuta to “sow destabilisation”.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha claimed that Ukrainian analysts have identified more than 1,500 publications on a pro-Russian network, led by Pravda and RT.
“For years, Moscow has used migration and other sensitive topics to stoke fear and destabilise European countries,” he wrote on X.
Trump administration and House Speaker claim 'socialists are ruining Spain'
07:52 , Holly Evans
Both Donald Trump and the Republican Speaker of the House have weighed in on the crisis in Cueta, blaming the socialist Spanish government for weak immigration laws.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X: "THIS is Marxism in practice: open borders, eroded sovereignty, and unlawful migration on a massive scale.
"What's happening in REAL TIME in Spain is EXACTLY the future the radical Left envisions for America.
"The socialists are ruining Spain just as they would the US."
Meanwhile, the US president likened scenes of migrants crossing the border to an "invasion".
During a Cabinet meeting at the Camp David retreat in Maryland, he suggested the Spanish government "doesn't know what to do" due to "bad management".
THIS is Marxism in practice: open borders, eroded sovereignty, and unlawful migration on a massive scale.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 31, 2026
What’s happening in REAL TIME in Spain is EXACTLY the future the radical Left envisions for America. The socialists are ruining Spain just as they would the U.S.
We MUST… https://t.co/Tt5KFc0L8a
Morocco 'facilitated migrant crossings' into Cueta
07:47 , Holly Evans
Morocco has been accused of facilitating the mass influx of 60,000 migrants to the Spanish enclave of Cueta, The Telegraph reports.
Western intelligence sources have said the incident could have been enacted as a punishment over diplomatic frustrations with Spain, who are pursuing gas deals with Algeria.
Morocco’s relationship with socialist Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez is said to be strained, although Spanish officials played down these rumours.
In 2021, a similar incident occurred but on a lesser scale, with Morocco funnelling 8,000 people into the enclave during a dispute with Madrid over the sovereignty of the Western Sahara.
'There's nothing at home': Moroccans sought better future in collective crossing to Spanish territory
07:30 , Shweta Sharma
When 21-year-old Abdulah Buji heard that the border into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta had been breached, he raced there on his motorbike, hoping the mass crossing would finally open a path to Europe.
"Spain gives you the chance to make your future, not like Morocco," the trainee teacher told the Associated Press.
Buji survived the dangerous swim into Ceuta, losing his belongings and money in the process, only to discover there was no route to mainland Spain.
Faced with the prospect of detention and eventual expulsion, he returned to Morocco.
"I've spent perhaps 14 years studying, but there's nothing at home," he said. "I just want a chance."
Europe faces border crisis as 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours: ‘Absolute chaos’
07:10 , Shweta Sharma
Europe faces a fresh border crisis after around 60,000 migrants from Morocco crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
At least 57 people died as border security struggled to deal with the sudden influx, with extraordinary footage capturing the huge crowds making their way into Spain’s North African territory.
Some drowned in the crossing while others were killed in a stampede at the Tarajal beach fence near a border checkpoint with Morocco.
Europe faces border crisis as 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco
What to know about the Spanish territory of Ceuta
06:45 , Shweta Sharma
Ceuta and the larger Spanish territory of Melilla, which is some 400km (250 miles) east, are located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa.
Both autonomous cities belong to Spain and share the European Union's only land borders with Africa.
In Spanish possession since 1580, Ceuta is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, and Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers who live in relative harmony.
Morocco does not officially recognise Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory, and often refers to them as occupied lands.
The city of 85,000 has been a flashpoint in major diplomatic crises in recent memory between Madrid and Rabat.
In May 2021, the Moroccan government dropped its border controls and let some 8,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries pour into Ceuta in just two days.
The move was broadly interpreted as retaliation from Morocco for Spain's decision to allow a pro-independence leader from the disputed Western Sahara region to receive medical treatment at a Spanish hospital.
Tensions were defused and the border restored only after Spain's prime minister shifted his country's long-standing position on Western Sahara, and met with Moroccan King Mohammed VI the following year.
Ceuta and its sister city Melilla are heavily fortified, as the territories are seen as a destination for those trying to reach Spain from Morocco and other parts of Africa.
What happened during the violent clashes?
06:20 , Shweta Sharma
A night of unrest gripped Ceuta as nearly 50,000 migrants, most from Morocco, overwhelmed the border.
Security forces from both Morocco and Spain clashed with groups at several crossings as people tried to force their way over the fence and hurled stones at officials.
Moroccan forces initially managed to push them back towards their side of the border, and later unleashed tear gas on them.
At the gates into Ceuta, Moroccan authorities also deployed water cannon trucks and pushed people back.
The charred remains of a bus and seven cars could be seen nearby from the violence.
Those who died included some who drowned or were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.
Smugglers 'deceive so many young people and lead many to their deaths'
05:53 , Shweta Sharma
Smugglers have been blamed for the Ceuta migration crisis, with Pedro Sanchez warning that they "deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths.”
The Spanish prime minister said they had misinterpreted a recent ruling from the Supreme Court, which then triggered the mass surge.
“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court's ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday," Sánchez said.
Almost all Ceuta migrants have returned to Morocco, Spanish embassy says
05:43 , Shweta Sharma
The embassy of Spain in the UK says almost everyone who entered Ceuta yesterday has now returned to Morocco.
“It is not possible to travel from Ceuta or Melilla to mainland Spain without presenting identification at a police checkpoint. The integrity of the Schengen area is fully guaranteed,” it said.
'They told us we would have a place of refuge in Spain,' migrant returning to Morrocco recount
05:20 , Shweta Sharma
Young migrants who crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta are returning to Morocco disillusioned after discovering that rumours of shelter, visas and onward travel to mainland Spain were false.
Many spent the night sleeping rough and relying on food from local residents before beginning the journey home, marking a painful end to their hopes of reaching Europe.
“Nobody helped us in Spain. They told us we would have a place to stay and a visa to travel to Algeciras, but it was all a lie,” 18-year-old Mohamed told El Pais after returning to Fnideq in northern Morocco.
He said he had travelled nearly 290km from Fez the previous day to cross into Ceuta via the border breakwater.
Many migrants' hopes of reaching Europe have gone unfulfilled. After sleeping rough in gardens and vacant lots and relying on help from locals or money sent by relatives, exhausted migrants packed into vehicles for the long journey back to their homes across Morocco.
Among them was Saina, 35, a single mother from the northern city of Larache, who travelled to the border with her one-year-old son, Yussef, hoping to start a new life in Spain. She believed her fluent Spanish would help her overcome the stigma faced by single mothers in Morocco.
"We'll be there soon," she said confidently in the early hours of Friday. By dawn, however, Moroccan security forces had cleared the area, ending her hopes of crossing.
In pictures: Spanish police crackdown on migrants crossing into Ceuta enclave from Morocco
05:02 , Shweta Sharma
Pictures from the deadly migration attempt show Spanish and Moroccan security forces launching a crackdown on people attempting to cross into Spain's Ceuta enclave.
Security forces fired water cannon at crowds, escorted women away from clashes, and confronted migrants gathered near the border.
Spain sent military and police reinforcements to Ceuta after the surge to control the crowds.
Italy and Spain clash over Ceuta migration surge as Meloni suspends Schengen accord
04:44 , Shweta Sharma
Italy and Spain have exchanged sharp diplomatic barbs after a mass migrant surge into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni described images from Ceuta as "shocking", calling the influx of migrants "uncontrolled immigration" and warning it posed a security threat to Europe.
Italy later suspended its participation in the Schengen free movement agreement with Spain. As the two countries do not share a land border, the move is expected to result primarily in additional checks on air passengers travelling between them.
Spain swiftly hit back, with foreign minister José Manuel Albares calling Meloni's remarks "improper" for "a partner and friendly country from which we expect European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery".
Madrid also summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday as tensions between the two EU allies escalated over the migration crisis.
'I feared for my life': Migrant describes chaos during attempted crossing
04:21 , Shweta Sharma
A migrant said he feared for his life after being caught in a stampede during an attempted crossing into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta.
He was among thousands of people who converged overnight on the Moroccan border town of Fnideq in one of the largest recent attempts to reach Europe.
"I feared for my life," said the migrant, who declined to give his name.
He described chaotic scenes of people pushing and stepping on one another along a narrow coastal route.
Spain dispatched military and police reinforcements to Ceuta after thousands attempted to cross from Morocco. Spanish state broadcaster TVE said between 2,000 and 3,000 people reached the enclave on Thursday.
Despite a heavy Moroccan security deployment, including water cannon trucks and reinforced border patrols, migrants continued arriving in Fnideq through the night.
Groups moved along the coastline seeking routes around the border fence, while others prepared to swim to the enclave after finding official crossing points blocked.
Moroccan teen says Instagram videos inspired bid to reach Europe
04:15 , Shweta Sharma
Moroccan Ayoub El Abyad, who was hoping to be one of roughly 60,000 migrants who entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco, said they wanted to try their luck after watching social media videos.
The 16-year-old Moroccan Ayoub El Abyad said he scrolled through Instagram videos showing migrants crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and decided he wanted to go.
"Migration is about improving our lives. We agreed we would try the idea of crossing and trust in Allah," El Abyad told Reuters on the Moroccan side near the border with Ceuta, after completing the journey by hitching rides with two drivers.
Young people in Morocco have been frustrated by poor public services and poverty and the issued spilled over into a major protest last year.
A quarter of Moroccans aged between 15 and 24 are not in education, employment or training, official data show.
Migrants return voluntarily to Morocco
03:44 , Shweta Sharma
Tens of thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain's tiny Ceuta territory returned voluntarily to Morocco on Friday.
At least 57 migrants died on the journey.
Ceuta's president put the number of migrants at 60,000, which was equivalent to 70 per cent of the territory's population. But most of them soon went back, the Spanish government said, after the sudden arrival of so many people sparked a humanitarian crisis.
Some migrants swam several miles through the sea and faced down authorities who tried to turn them back with water cannons, tear gas and warning shots.
Spanish police and military personnel deployed on the streets of the city began redirecting the flow of migrants back to Morocco.
Children made deadly crossing alone without telling parents
03:00 , Alex Croft
Hundreds of children - many of them unaccompanied - are believed to have crossed from Morocco into Ceuta in the past 24 hours, it has been reported.
One of them was 12-year-old Hamsa Silman, who swam to Tarajal Beach and said he had come to help his mother from Spain.
"There was no need to ask whether he was a minor,” an El Pais reporter on the ground wrote.
“He hugged the friends who had made the crossing with him and called his father, who had known nothing of the journey. The man was crying on the phone screen."
Hadiya, 16, had told her mother that she was "just going out for a walk at night with a friend".
The teenager emerged from the sea after spending three hours paddling with the help of an inner tube.
How many migrants have returned voluntarily?
02:00 , Alex Croft
Roughly half of the 60,000 people who had crossed into Ceuta have already made their way back voluntarily, the Spanish government said.
Spanish police and military personnel deployed on the streets of the city began redirecting the flow of migrants back to Morocco.
The interior ministry, which initially refused to share estimates from the border, released its own figures shortly after Ceuta leader, Juan Jesus Vivas spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco in the past 24 hours.
It added that 25,000 had already returned to Morocco, with hundreds more going back by the hour.
Spain’s border crisis could become ours, UK shadow minister says
01:00 , Alex Croft
The UK’s shadow home secretary has warned Spain’s border crisis could “rapidly become our border crisis” after an estimated 60,000 migrants have poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
Conservative MP Chris Philp called on the Spanish government to “expel” the people who had entered Ceuta, and urged the them “not allow any onto the Spanish mainland”.
“If these illegal immigrants do make it to Spain, then the EU’s borderless Schengen zone means there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel here. Spain’s border crisis could rapidly become our border crisis,” he said.
“That’s why the Conservative policy is to leave the ECHR enabling all illegal immigrants to be deported with a week or arrival – with no asylum claim, no human rights claim and no court hearing.
“Then illegal immigrants like these circulating in Europe wouldn’t bother to cross to the UK.”
Smugglers 'deceive so many young people and lead many to their deaths'
Saturday 1 August 2026 00:00 , Alex Croft
Smugglers have been blamed for the Ceuta migration crisis, with Pedro Sanchez warning that they "deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths.”
The Spanish prime minister said they had misinterpreted a recent ruling from the Supreme Court, which then triggered the mass surge.
“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court's ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday," Sánchez said.
Russia 'using Ceuta crisis to sow destabilisation' across Europe
Friday 31 July 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out an “intensive propaganda campaign” using pictures from Ceuta to “sow destabilisation”.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha claimed that Ukrainian analysts have identified more than 1,500 publications on a pro-Russian network, led by Pravda and RT.
“For years, Moscow has used migration and other sensitive topics to stoke fear and destabilise European countries,” he wrote on X.
We have detected an intensive Russian propaganda campaign across Europe using pictures from Ceuta to sow destabilization.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) July 31, 2026
There have been more than 1,500 publications on outlets identified by analysts as a pro-Russian network, led by Pravda and RT. Pravda Spanish has posted… pic.twitter.com/lpy2GLPBXU
Border surge linked to Supreme Court ruling
Friday 31 July 2026 22:00 , Harriette Boucher
A recent ruling from Spain’s supreme court, which concluded that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily deported, has been linked to the border surge in Ceuta.
Pedro Sanchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling, which triggered the surge.
“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court's ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday.”
Europe faces border crisis as 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours: ‘Absolute chaos’
Friday 31 July 2026 21:15 , Harriette Boucher
The Independent’s Maira Butt writes:
Europe faces a fresh border crisis after around 60,000 migrants from Morocco crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
At least 43 people died as border security struggled to deal with the sudden influx, with extraordinary footage capturing the huge crowds making their way into Spain’s North African territory.
Some drowned in the crossing while others were killed in a stampede at the Tarajal beach fence near a border checkpoint with Morocco.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez called the incident an “attack on Spain’s territorial integrity” and vowed to “use all the resources of the state to guarantee security and coexistence”.
Europe faces border crisis as 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco
Social media rumours, economic hardship fuel migrant surge into Ceuta
Friday 31 July 2026 20:30 , Harriette Boucher
As 16-year-old Moroccan Ayoub El Abyad scrolled through Instagram videos showing migrants crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, he and his cousin, then still a 12-hour drive from the border, decided to try their luck.
“Migration is about improving our lives. We agreed we would try the idea of crossing and trust in Allah,” El Abyad told Reuters in Ceuta, after completing the journey by hitching rides with two drivers.
El Abyad was one of roughly 60,000 migrants who entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco this week, in the biggest surge in recent history.
In Morocco, where deep-seated anger towards poor public services and rampant poverty spilled over late last year into major protests, many young people spend years waiting for a chance to cross the border in search of better prospects.
A quarter of Moroccans aged between 15 and 24 are not in education, employment or training, official data show.
When reports spread on social media about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier in July that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be immediately turned back, many saw an opportunity.
And calm seas at this time of year make swimming a more feasible option for migrants, said Mauricio Valiente, director of Spanish refugee charity CEAR.
“I came here to seek a better future,” said Dounia Kherradi, a waitress from Lqliaa, a centre of last year's protests. “My salary is not enough to take care of my parents and I have a daughter... may God help us.”
In pictures: Migrants cross into Spain's Ceuta enclave from Morocco
Friday 31 July 2026 19:45 , Harriette Boucher
Ceuta crisis: How arrival of 60,000 migrants into Spanish enclave could affect mainland Europe and the UK
Friday 31 July 2026 19:18 , Harriette Boucher
Home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft writes:
Tens of thousands of migrants have crossed into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco prompting concern from leaders across Europe about the integrity of their borders.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez described the inflow of people as “an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity” and promised to “use all the resources of the state to guarantee security and coexistence”.
Leaders across Europe, including president of the EU commission Ursula von der Leyen, have called for swift returns of migrants back to Morocco. UK prime minister Andy Burnham described the chaotic scenes of migrants scrambling onto the shores as a “cause for concern” and said the UK had contacted Madrid to understand the implications and provide support.
Ceuta, which shares a land border with Morocco, is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar. Though it is part of Spain it has a carve-out from the usual requirements of the Schengen free travel area - meaning it is not possible for migrants in Ceuta to simply sail across the Strait and be allowed into mainland Europe as they will face additional border checks.
Under normal circumstances, migrants who claim asylum in Ceuta should be able to have their claims processed, however the arrival of some 60,000 people at once threatens to overwhelm the system.
How arrival of migrants into Ceuta could affect mainland Europe and UK
Italy suspends EU Schengen free-travel pact with Spain over Ceuta crisis
Friday 31 July 2026 18:10 , Harriette Boucher
Italy is suspending the EU's border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain in response to the mass influx of migrants into Ceuta.
Its interior ministry said on Friday that it had also agreed with Paris to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian land border to try to prevent any undocumented migrants from crossing.
Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure - which looks certain to anger Madrid - will impact people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, meaning they will need to show a passport to gain access.
Critics of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government dismissed the move as a symbolic gesture aimed at a domestic political audience, with no evidence that the migrants in Ceuta had any intention of heading to Italy.
Trump weighs in on Ceita migrant crisis
Friday 31 July 2026 17:40 , Gergana.Krasteva
Donald Trump - a long-time critic of Spain's Socialist government - has also weighed in on the Ceuta situation.
“I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It was, it looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people,” he wrote, quoting different number to what the Spanish government has provided.
“And that same thing is going to happen to us if the Republicans … get elected. Except worse, much bigger, much easier to get into.”
The US president added: “And when I watched it, I said, boy, I said, … that’s going to be a talking point for the midterms, because when you look at what happened to Spain, they don’t know what to do.
“And it’s happening again today.”
Latest pictures from Ceuta migrant crisis
Friday 31 July 2026 17:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Spanish PM hits back at hit back at EU members calling for Schengen suspension
Friday 31 July 2026 17:10 , Gergana.Krasteva
Pedro Sanchez has hit back at EU members who have rallied against Spain, campaigning for its suspension from Schengen.
Calling for “respect for European treaties and data,” the Spanish prime minister pointed the finger at the number of irregular entries between 2021 and 2026, according to Frontex.
“This is not the time to divide. It is the time to continue building a strong and united EU,” he said.
La solidaridad y la empatía son opcionales.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 31, 2026
El respeto a los tratados europeos y a los datos, no.
👇🏼
Número de entradas irregulares entre 2021 y 2026 según Frontex:
Por Italia: 478.600
Por los Balcanes occidentales: 340.600
Por Grecia: 259.800
Por España: 234.760
Por la…
Spain urged to to tighten 'asylum law, border procedures, and build barriers' if Schengen is to survive
Friday 31 July 2026 16:47 , Gergana.Krasteva
Poland’s prime minister has urged Spain to tighten “asylum law, border procedures, and build effective barriers” if the Schengen zone is to survive.
In a post on X, Donald Tusk compared Spain’s migrant problem to Poland’s.
“Poland has tightened asylum laws, border procedures, and has built effective barriers on its border with Belarus, which is the eastern border of the EU,” he said.
“We have invested billions of euros and engaged thousands of soldiers, police officers and border guards.
“Spain must follow our example if Schengen is to survive.”
Poland has tightened asylum laws, border procedures, and has built effective barriers on its border with Belarus, which is the eastern border of the EU. We have invested billions of euros and engaged thousands of soldiers, police officers and border guards. Spain must follow our…
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) July 31, 2026
Death toll in Ceuta migrant crisis jumps to 57
Friday 31 July 2026 16:40 , Gergana.Krasteva
The Spanish government has revised the death toll and has confirmed that 57 people have died.
At least 14 more bodies have been recovered this afternoon.
Smugglers 'deceive so many young people and lead many to their deaths'
Friday 31 July 2026 16:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Smugglers have been blamed for the Ceuta migration crisis, with Pedro Sanchez warning that they "deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths.”
The Spanish prime minister said they had misinterpreted a recent ruling from the Supreme Court, which then triggered the mass surge.
“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court's ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday," Sánchez said.
Over half of migrants in Ceuta already returned to Morocco
Friday 31 July 2026 16:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
We have just received another update on the number of migrants who have returned to Morocco today.
Efe reported that more than 37,500 out of the 50,000 people who entered Ceuta have already left, as of 3.30 pm today, according to Spanish authorities.
Russia 'using Ceuta crisis to sow destabilisation' across Europe
Friday 31 July 2026 16:07 , Gergana.Krasteva
Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out an “intensive propaganda campaign” using pictures from Ceuta to “sow destabilisation”.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha claimed that Ukrainian analysts have identified more than 1,500 publications on a pro-Russian network, led by Pravda and RT.
“For years, Moscow has used migration and other sensitive topics to stoke fear and destabilise European countries,” he wrote on X.
We have detected an intensive Russian propaganda campaign across Europe using pictures from Ceuta to sow destabilization.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) July 31, 2026
There have been more than 1,500 publications on outlets identified by analysts as a pro-Russian network, led by Pravda and RT. Pravda Spanish has posted… pic.twitter.com/lpy2GLPBXU
How many migrants have returned voluntarily?
Friday 31 July 2026 15:57 , Gergana.Krasteva
Roughly half of the 60,000 people who had crossed into Ceuta have already made their way back voluntarily, the Spanish government said.
Spanish police and military personnel deployed on the streets of the city began redirecting the flow of migrants back to Morocco.
The interior ministry, which initially refused to share estimates from the border, released its own figures shortly after Ceuta leader, Juan Jesus Vivas spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco in the past 24 hours.
It added that 25,000 had already returned to Morocco, with hundreds more going back by the hour.
Death toll rises to 43 after nine more bodies recovered
Friday 31 July 2026 15:32 , Gergana.Krasteva
The bodies of another nine people have been recovered, bringing the death toll to 43.
Security forces and emergency services continue to comb the water surrounding Ceuta after warning earlier today that the number of fatalities is likely to rise over the coming hours.
In pictures: Spain says huge surge across border into enclave has reversed
Friday 31 July 2026 14:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Ceuta crisis: How arrival of 60,000 migrants into Spanish enclave could affect mainland Europe and the UK
Friday 31 July 2026 14:20 , Holly Bancroft
Tens of thousands of migrants have crossed into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco prompting concern from leaders across Europe about the integrity of their borders.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez described the inflow of people as “an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity” and promised to “use all the resources of the state to guarantee security and coexistence”.
Leaders across Europe, including president of the EU commission Ursula von der Leyen, have called for swift returns of migrants back to Morocco.
UK prime minister Andy Burnham described the chaotic scenes of migrants scrambling onto the shores as a “cause for concern” and said the UK had contacted Madrid to understand the implications and provide support.
Read our full story below.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ceuta-spain-europe-migrant-uk-morocco-b3025319.html
Spain’s border crisis could become ours, UK shadow minister says
Friday 31 July 2026 14:10 , Athena Stavrou
The UK’s shadow home secretary has warned Spain’s border crisis could “rapidly become our border crisis” after an estimated 60,000 migrants have poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
Conservative MP Chris Philp called on the Spanish government to “expel” the people who had entered Ceuta, and urged the them “not allow any onto the Spanish mainland”.
“If these illegal immigrants do make it to Spain, then the EU’s borderless Schengen zone means there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel here. Spain’s border crisis could rapidly become our border crisis,” he said.
“That’s why the Conservative policy is to leave the ECHR enabling all illegal immigrants to be deported with a week or arrival – with no asylum claim, no human rights claim and no court hearing.
“Then illegal immigrants like these circulating in Europe wouldn’t bother to cross to the UK.”
Burnham says scenes in Ceuta a ‘cause for concern’ and is in contact with Spain over migrant
Friday 31 July 2026 14:00 , Athena Stavrou
Andy Burnham has said the scenes in Ceuta are a “cause for concern” and confirmed the UK is in contact with the Spanish government.
Asked about the migrant crossings, he said: “Obviously that’s a matter for the Spanish government first and foremost, but it is a cause for concern.
“And we are making contact with the Spanish government, the Spanish authorities, to provide support but also to understand the implications of that situation.”
Asked about migrant crossings throughout Europe, including over the English Channel to the UK, he added: “It’s a concerning situation and I know people will see those scenes and want something to be done, more to be done.
“What I have done is firstly keep the current home secretary in place because the plan she has implemented has started to make a difference.
“Although this is the peak period of the year for crossings, overall the number of crossings is down, the number of removals of people is up.
“So, there is progress, but we both recognise that we need to do more.”
Mr Burnham said he “will make a visit very shortly to Border Force on the south coast to see the situation for myself, assess it, and then agree with the Home Secretary what further we need to do”.
Children made deadly crossing alone without telling parents
Friday 31 July 2026 13:45 , Gergana.Krasteva
Hundreds of children - many of them unaccompanied - are believed to have crossed from Morocco into Ceuta in the past 24 hours, it has been reported.
One of them was 12-year-old Hamsa Silman, who swam to Tarajal Beach and said he had come to help his mother from Spain.
"There was no need to ask whether he was a minor,” an El Pais reporter on the ground wrote.
“He hugged the friends who had made the crossing with him and called his father, who had known nothing of the journey. The man was crying on the phone screen."
Hadiya, 16, had told her mother that she was "just going out for a walk at night with a friend".
The teenager emerged from the sea after spending three hours paddling with the help of an inner tube.
'One rational thing to do would be to transfer people to mainland Spain'
Friday 31 July 2026 13:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Judith Sunderland, senior director in the refugee and migrants rights division at Human Rights Watch, told The Independent that the numbers of people coming into Ceuta will be difficult for local authorities and NGOs to handle.
She said: "49,000 [in 24 hours] is a lot for Ceuta alone to handle, so from the perspective of the obligation on Spain to provide adequate care and individual assessments for everyone, that is going to be difficult to do in Ceuta.
“One rational thing to do would be to transfer a bunch of people to mainland Spain.
“I know that local NGOs are already calling for that, I would suspect that the Ceuta government would want that to happen. But then you get into all the politics of that.
"Ideally everyone should get an individual assessment and those that have no claim to remain, they don't need asylum, they don't have a right to protection, they should be returned. That’s clear."
She explained that Ceuta, while part of Spain, has a carve-out from the usual requirements of the Schengen free travel area.
"There is no freedom of movement between Ceuta and mainland Spain, so none of these people are going to easily get on ferries to go to mainland Spain," Sunderland added.
Referring to the policing of the border with Morocco, she said: "Spain has been often violently controlling the enclaves for years now, they are extremely expert at blocking people from entering.
“Summarily expelling those who do, and preventing anyone who does actually make it, from travelling onward into Spain.
“It is clearly a very challenging situation and the Spanish government does need to be careful in how it responds, they are sending military and they need to be careful that that doesn’t involve violence."
While the situation is challenging, Sunderland explained that this is a crisis that the Spanish government should be prepared for.
She added: "They should have systems in place to handle it in a way that is rational and humane and respects the rights of those arriving, and responds to the concerns of the local population.
“This is a big test, and I think is fair to demand that they rise to the challenge."
Emmanuel Macron orders increased border checks in response
Friday 31 July 2026 13:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
Emmanuel Macron had tasked interior minister Laurent Nunez to beef up checks at the borders with Spain.
The French president is in touch with Spanish and Moroccan authorities over the border crossings.
France stands ready to help out Spain if necessary, including via the European border and cost guards agency Frontex, his office said.
Around 25,000 migrants return to Morocco from Ceuta today
Friday 31 July 2026 13:10 , Gergana.Krasteva
An estimated 25,000 migrants have made the journey back to Morocco from Ceuta this morning, the Spanish Interior Ministry has said.
This comes after the leader of the enclave, Juan Jesus Vivas, told the press that around 60,000 people have crossed the border in the past few days.
What happened during the violent clashes?
Friday 31 July 2026 13:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
A night of unrest gripped Ceuta as nearly 50,000 migrants, most from Morocco, overwhelmed the border.
Security forces from both Morocco and Spain clashed with groups at several crossings as people tried to force their way over the fence and hurled stones at officials.
Moroccan forces initially managed to push them back towards their side of the border, and later unleashed tear gas on them.
At the gates into Ceuta, Moroccan authorities also deployed water cannon trucks and pushed people back.
The charred remains of a bus and seven cars could be seen nearby from the violence.
Over 60,000 migrants cross into Spain as death toll rises to 34
Friday 31 July 2026 12:50 , Gergana.Krasteva
Around 60,000 people were estimated to have crossed into Ceuta in the past few days, the leader of the Spanish enclave, Juan Jesus Vivas, has confirmed.
He also revealed that the death toll from crossings has now jumped to 34, up from 24 we reported earlier today.
"The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable," Vivas told reporters.
'We can't allow anyone to come to EU without abiding by our rules'
Friday 31 July 2026 12:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has described the images coming from Ceuta are "unacceptable" and has confirmed that the EU is in touch with Moroccan authorities.
"(Commissioner) Dubravka Suica is in contact with her Moroccan counterpart,” she said on X.
“I am confident that our close partnership with Morocco will help deliver concrete results.”
The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 31, 2026
We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules.
Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.
I tasked two Commissioners…
Spain to speed up repatriation of migrants in Ceuta
Friday 31 July 2026 12:14 , Gergana.Krasteva
A temporary centre will be set up in Ceuta to “expedite” the expulsion of people with no legal claim to be in Spanish territory, PM Sánchez has revealed.
Shortly after arriving in the city, he told a press conference that the government will also add a visible barrier near the breakwater to signal the border.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez calls Ceuta crisis 'violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty'
Friday 31 July 2026 11:57 , Gergana.Krasteva
Pedro Sánchez has arrived in the enclave of Ceuta, where he criticised last night’s escalation as a “violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty”.
Speaking to the media while flanked by interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the prime minister described the last 24 hours as “deplorable” - but said the crisis is driven by human traffickers wilfully misleading migrants about the legal situation.
He vowed to use “all mechanisms and resources available to the state” to resolve the situation.
Five more bodies recovered from water
Friday 31 July 2026 11:46 , Gergana.Krasteva
Five more bodies have been recovered from the water, bringing the death toll to 24, it has been reported.
Police sources cited by EFE said that the number of fatalities could continue to rise due to the large number of people who jumped into the sea from the Moroccan coast of Castillejos to reach Ceuta.
Friday 31 July 2026 11:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Can Italy 'suspend Spain from Schengen zone' over Ceuta crisis?
Friday 31 July 2026 11:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
Josep Borrell has criticised Italy’s threat to “suspend” Spain from the Schengen zone after tens of thousands of migrants breached Morocco's border to cross over to Ceuta.
The former vice-president of the European Commission confirmed that “the option simply does not exist in the legal architecture of the European Union.
“Under EU law, no Member State can unilaterally suspend another’s participation in Schengen,” he wrote on X.
Borrell hit out at both Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani and deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini for the threat.
He added that this is “quite revealing of how EU governments are learning to understand, talk, use and abuse” the union’s legal orders.
1. After thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco this week, Italy threatened to “suspend Schengen with Spain.”
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 31, 2026
It just can’t.
Under EU law, no Member State can unilaterally suspend another’s participation in Schengen.
'Being Spanish doesn't mean hitting migrants'
Friday 31 July 2026 11:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
Police have been urged to investigate attacks on Moroccans in Ceuta who are “fleeing hunger and misery in their country”.
The Loma Colmenar Residents' Association, a community group representing residents in the enclave, has demanded an end to the violence against migrants arriving in the city.
It claimed that a number of migrants were attacked during last night’s demonstration, including migrant children being harassed.
Its president, Rafael García, has called on the police to identify those responsible, adding that videos of these incidents exist.
"Being Spanish doesn't mean hitting migrants," he said.
Insisting that local authorities must find a place to house people while their situation is being addressed, he added: "What we have to do now is try to solve the problem.”
In pictures: People use swim rings to make treacherous journey to Ceuta
Friday 31 July 2026 10:50 , Gergana.Krasteva
Spain and Italy row over 'unbecoming' claims about 'uncontrolled immigration'
Friday 31 July 2026 10:36 , Gergana.Krasteva
Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, has criticised Italy for claims about “irregular and uncontrolled immigration” amid the chaos in Ceuta.
Italy’s deputy prime minister, Antonio Tajani, posted on Xlast night: “The images coming from Ceuta show how the Madrid Government's decision to grant Spanish, and therefore European, citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants is profoundly wrong and encourages human trafficking.”
Tajani added that he supports “closing the Schengen Area to Spain.”
Reacting to accusation, Albares said the message is “unbecoming.”
“Today's events are related to a court ruling, having nothing to do with what the tweet says,” the minister added.
He confirmed that he has summoned the Italian ambassador.
Este mensaje es impropio del Ministro de Exteriores de un país socio y amigo del que esperamos solidaridad europea y no demagogia partidista. Los hechos de hoy tienen relación con una sentencia, nada que ver con lo que dice el tuit. He convocado mañana al Embajador de Italia. https://t.co/8ZDSZ1Il5c
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) July 30, 2026
Death toll for 2026 reaches 49
Friday 31 July 2026 10:16 , Gergana.Krasteva
The Civil Guard and Maritime Rescue have been recovering the bodies of drowned victims from the water, in what has become the most tragic day related to deaths on the coast of Ceuta.
These deaths bring the number of migrants who have died this year trying to swim into the Spanish exclave to 49.
In July alone, 30 people drowned while attempting to reach the city.
The number of deaths exceeds the 46 fatalities recorded throughout 2025, which was the most dramatic year for this type of event.
Watch: Migrants from Morocco swim across border into Spain's Ceuta
Friday 31 July 2026 10:10 , Gergana.Krasteva
Number of migrants killed in crossing rises
Friday 31 July 2026 10:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
The number of people who have died while attempting to cross into Ceuta has risen to at least 19.
Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, said earlier today that most had drowned.
But he added that a number of them were killed in the stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco.
One of the migrants who was caught in the stampede described chaotic scenes of people pushing and trampling on one another along a narrow coastal route.
"I feared for my life," said the man, who declined to give his name.
What is behind the surge in migrant crossings?
Friday 31 July 2026 09:50 , Gergana.Krasteva
Authorities in Ceuta had previously linked the spike in border crossings to a controversial Spanish Supreme Court decision earlier this month .
It ruled that people who arrive by sea cannot be immediately pushed back across the border without due process, unlike those who cross into Spain by land - by climbing over the border fence, for example.
But some activists in Morocco doubt that the legal decision was behind the surge, arguing that most migrants would have been unaware of it.
Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
France to strengthen controls at border with Spain
Friday 31 July 2026 09:40 , Gergana.Krasteva
France is planning “extra measures” to reinforce its border with Spain amid the influx of nearly 50,000 migrants in the last 24 hours.
“We have control at the Franco-Spanish border, it exists,” the French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, told RTL this morning, reacting to the chaos in Ceuta.
“Moreover, it has been reinforced in recent months since we have a mobile force that is permanently present and that reinforces these controls.”
He added: “I spoke with my Spanish counterpart yesterday, we will take measures, we will obviously strengthen controls at the Franco-Spanish border."
Italy wants Spain suspended from Schengen zone over Ceuta crisis
Friday 31 July 2026 09:25 , Daniel Keane
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni called for Spain's suspension from European Union's visa-free Schengen travel zone after thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish city of Ceuta from Morocco.
Spain on Thursday said it was deploying the military to the North African enclave to restore order at its “totally collapsed” border after at least nine people died during the mass migrant crossing this week.
The armed forces said it would send 60 personnel to reinforce the police to deal with people swimming over to the enclave.
Ms Meloni said the images emerging from Ceuta of migrants crossing were "shocking".
"We are in the process of bringing together the competent bodies and, once these meetings are over, we are ready to act, including through exceptional measures, such as suspending the Schengen agreement with Spain," she said on X.
Read our full story below.
Italy pushes for Spain’s Schengen suspension over mass migration crisis in Ceuta
Civil Guard union warns of 'serious humanitarian crisis'
Friday 31 July 2026 09:20 , Daniel Keane
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 sidewalks, with others roaming the streets aimlessly, he said. "It's chaotic."
In pictures: Migrants clash with Moroccan police near Spanish border
Friday 31 July 2026 09:15 , Daniel Keane
More than 49,000 migrants pour into Ceuta, says Spain
Friday 31 July 2026 09:09 , Daniel Keane
More than 49,000 migrants poured into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours on Thursday, the Spanish government has said as it deployed troops to battle a growing crisis on the border.
At least 18 people drowned while attempting to cross into Ceuta from North Africa as overwhelmed border guards struggled to deal with the influx.
