Key facts
- Spain installed a 500-meter floating barrier in Ceuta after a large migrant surge from Morocco.
- At least 67 migrant deaths were recorded during the crisis.
- Approximately 50,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta, with over 48,000 returned to Morocco.
- Twenty-two EU governments requested an urgent meeting of interior ministers.
- Italy suspended Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month.
Spain has installed a 500-meter floating barrier in its North African enclave of Ceuta following a massive surge of migrants from Morocco, which resulted in at least 67 deaths. Spanish officials reported that the situation has been 'almost entirely reversed,' with most of the estimated 60,000 migrants who entered Spain's Ceuta enclave having returned to Morocco. Approximately 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta, with over 48,000 returned to Morocco within 48 hours. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that 'not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU' due to effective work by Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement. The unprecedented influx prompted calls for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers, with Italy suspending Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month. France is also reportedly tightening its borders. Social media posts encouraging Moroccans to attempt the crossing, including practical information, preceded the surge. Migrants cited despair and the need to support families as motivations for attempting the perilous journey. Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other enclave on Morocco's coast, periodically experience attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.