Key facts
- Approximately 60,000 people entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
- An estimated 8,000 of the arrivals were children.
- Spain's interior ministry stated that around 13,000 people were returned to Morocco.
- Migrants arrived by swimming around the border fence.
- Moroccan authorities used water cannons and pushed people back at the border.
- Spanish authorities intend to expel illegal entrants quickly.
Spain is reinforcing the borders of its North African enclave of Ceuta after approximately 60,000 people, including thousands of children, entered the Spanish territory from Morocco. Spain's interior ministry reported that around 13,000 individuals were returned to Morocco. Footage depicted migrants swimming into Ceuta, some using flotation devices, to circumvent the heavily fortified border. Moroccan authorities deployed water cannons and pushed back individuals, while Spain intends to expedite the expulsion of illegal entrants, despite potential legal challenges.
This influx marks the largest arrival in Ceuta since May 2021, when thousands entered during a diplomatic dispute over Western Sahara. The reasons for the current surge remain unclear, though a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling on border rejections and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's visit to Algeria have been cited as potential contributing factors. France has increased border checks with Spain, and Italy has threatened to suspend Spain from the EU's internal open-border scheme in response to the situation.