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Ceuta: Spain scrambles after thousands breach exclave border
Ceuta: Most who breached border have left, Spain says
Jenipher Camino Gonzalez | Darko Janjevic | Jon Shelton | Mark Hallam with AFP, AP, EFE, dpa, ReutersPublished 07/31/2026Published July 31, 2026last updated 08/03/2026last updated August 3, 2026Nearly all of the more than 50,000 migrants who breached the border this week have returned to Morocco, according to Spanish officials. At least 72 people died in the border rush. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5I5CrWhat you need to know
- Ceuta returning to normal but work remains, local official says
- Madrid says 72 people died in the border rush
- Right-wing leaders call for migrant expulsions, security reinforcement
- Italy's one-month suspension of the free-movement Schengen deal takes effect
- Spain's PM Sanchez calls for an urgent teleconference of EU interior ministers
- DW correspondent says thousands of migrants still in Ceuta
- Germany's Merz calls on Morocco to take back the irregular migrants 'without delay'
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Skip next section Thank you for reading 08/03/2026August 3, 2026Thank you for reading
Most of the 60,000 migrants who crossed into Spain's North African exclave of Ceuta had walked back to Morocco by Sunday, but some stayed on in the hills surrounding the city.
Spanish authorities continued searching for bodies in the waters near the stretch of urban beach that tens of thousands of migrants had breached days earlier.
We'll have more on the news about what exactly happened and why this many people decided to swim to Ceuta in the coming days.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IA4aSkip next section Morocco blames social media misinformation, people smugglers for border chaos08/02/2026August 2, 2026Morocco blames social media misinformation, people smugglers for border chaos
Morocco's Interior Ministry said on Sunday that the recent border surge in Ceuta was fueled by misinformation on social media, human trafficking networks and a Spain court ruling banning the immediate return of migrants arriving by sea.
The statement was the first from the Moroccan government since the mass border breach on Thursday and Friday, during which Spain says between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta.
Morocco said around 40,000 people were involved in the mass crossing at Ceuta, while 1,135 were stopped while trying to enter Melilla, Spain's other North African exclave.
The ministry also said 11 people had died. Ten of them died by drowning while attempting to cross the border, the ministry said, with one person dying after falling from a rocky area.
The ministry added that Moroccan officials were checking reports from their Spanish counterparts that 72 people died.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IA1kSkip next section Far-right politicians call for migrant expulsions, security reinforcement08/02/2026August 2, 2026Far-right politicians call for migrant expulsions, security reinforcement
The border crisis in Ceuta has sparked debates in Spain and across Europe about the Spanish government's migration policy.
Many governments in Europe have sought to curb immigration, but Spain has pursued a different approach, recently announcing a plan to provide legal status to up to 500,000 undocumented migrants.
Pedro Sanchez and his Socialist government have been heavily criticized this week by politicians from Spain's right and far-right parties.
The leader of the opposition, the conservative People's Party's Alberto Nunez Feijoo, has traveled to the exclave, where he slammed Sanchez for failing to prevent the border rush.
The leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, who was also in Ceuta on Sunday, blamed the Socialist government for the migrant surge, which he described as "an invasion."
He said the surge was an "act of war" and an "attack on the sovereignty and security of Spaniards."
Abascal also said Sanchez was "a danger" to the country, and called for the EU-Morocco agreement, which functions as a partial free trade area, to be scrapped.
Far-right influencer and Member of the European Parliament Alvise Perez called for migrants to be expelled during a confrontation with a crowd of rival protesters in Ceuta. Much of the city's population is of Moroccan descent.
Perez had to shelter in a bar before being escorted away by police.
Sanchez and his government have also been criticized by other right-wing politicians in Europe, most notably Italy's Interior Minister Antonio Tajani.
Italy has suspended free movement with Spain, even though both are part of the Schengen Area.
https://p.dw.com/p/5I9jzSkip next section Most migrants return but Ceuta still on edge as death toll climbs to 7208/02/2026August 2, 2026Most migrants return but Ceuta still on edge as death toll climbs to 72
Karl Sexton | Jenipher Camino Gonzalez EditorRelative calm had returned to Ceuta on Sunday, but the city remained on edge following the deadly border rush.
Local officials have warned that the city's recovery has just begun, while right-wing politicians are blaming the Socialist government in Madrid for chaotic scenes that unfolded this week in the Spanish North African exclave.
Spanish Civil Guard ships were searching the waters around the city on Sunday for more bodies after between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants breached the border with Morocco.
Nearly all of them had walked back to the Moroccan side of the border by Sunday, according to officials in Ceuta, normally home to around 84,000 people.
At least 72 people died during the crush on Thursday and Friday, the Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, said.
Some drowned, while others were killed in a stampede at a breakwater barrier and a border fence.
Perez added that medical services have treated more than 1,000 people.
He said while the situation in the exclave had improved significantly, work remained to be done for the city to return to normal.
On Saturday, authorities installed a 500-meter (1,600-foot) floating barrier in the waters off Ceuta to boost border security, as well as reinforcing police and army patrols.
WATCH: Spain installs floating barrier to stop Ceuta sea crossings
https://p.dw.com/p/5I9bJSkip next section What to know if you're joining us on August 2Published 08/02/2026Published August 2, 2026last updated 08/02/2026last updated August 2, 2026What to know if you're joining us on August 2
Roshni Majumdar Editor- Spain said on Saturday migrant crossings into its North African territory of Ceuta had stopped overnight after authorities began installing a 500-meter floating barrier at the border with Morocco.
- More than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea on Thursday in an unprecedented surge, Spain said more than 48,000 were returned to Morocco within 48 hours.
- The death toll from the mass crossing rose to at least 67, with migrants dying from drowning or being crushed while attempting to scale border barriers.
- European Union interior ministers will meet for emergency talks on Tuesday, with 22 member states, including Germany, calling for coordinated border measures.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised Italy's decision to suspend Schengen travel with Spain for one month.
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Spain has reinforced police and military deployments in Ceuta. Authorities stressed that migrants entering the territory irregularly cannot travel onward to mainland Spain or elsewhere in the Schengen area.
Spanish police step up pressure on migrants to leave Ceuta
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Emergency meeting of European interior ministers to take place Tuesday
An emergency video meeting of European Union interior ministers is to be held on Tuesday, according to Ireland's prime minister, Micheal Martin.
"As Presidency holders, Ireland will convene a meeting on Tuesday of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council... to discuss developments in Ceuta," the Irish leader wrote on Saturday.
The Republic of Ireland currently holds the EU's rotating presidency and Irish Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Minister Jim O'Callaghan has been tapped by Martin to lead the call.
https://p.dw.com/p/5I8GvSkip next section EU's von der Leyen says lessons must be learned to improve resilience08/01/2026August 1, 2026EU's von der Leyen says lessons must be learned to improve resilience
In a social media post on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had "offered support to Spain from the first moment" and that most of those who stormed the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta this week had been returned to Morocco.
"Not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of Europe," she said.
The head of the EU's executive said, however, that the bloc's "strong system" of border protections "needs to be further strengthened."
While emphasizing coordination, she said lessons must be learned "to improve our European resilience." Calling for vigilance and coordination, von der Leyen ended her statement by saying, "Fighting illegal migration requires solidarity and a united European response."
https://p.dw.com/p/5I8DqSkip next section France says no need for Spain to leave Schengen08/01/2026August 1, 2026France says no need for Spain to leave Schengen
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez on Saturday was cited by news agency AFP as saying that despite France's own increased security along its shared border with Spain, "We are not asking for Spain's suspension from Schengen."
Addressing calls by European politicians for Spain to be temporarily booted from the freedom of travel agreement, Nunez said: "Spain does not need to leave the Schengen zone. It's absolutely not on the table. We have great cooperation with Spain."
Italy announced a one-month suspension of visa-free movement with Spain on Friday after tens of thousands of migrants stormed the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, overwhelming authorities.
Spain has assured EU partners that irregular entry into Ceuta does not confer a right to remain in Spain, travel to the mainland, or move freely throughout Europe.
https://p.dw.com/p/5I88nSkip next section DW reporter: Ceuta locals feel 'a mix of of fear and anger'08/01/2026August 1, 2026DW reporter: Ceuta locals feel 'a mix of of fear and anger'
Jan-Philipp Scholz | Saim Dušan Inayatullah EditorDW correspondent Jan-Philipp Scholz reported high tensions in Ceuta on Saturday morning, despite the claims by the Spanish authorities that the situation in the exclave was back under control.
"I've still seen clashes between police, military and migrants, also between locals and some migrants this morning," he said.
While the overwhelming majority of irregular migrants has already left the area, Scholz pointed out that thousands were still in Ceuta and Spanish authorities were growing "increasingly robust" in their efforts to get the rest to leave. Most migrants did not receive any food or water, and all the shops in the area are closed, Scholz pointed out.
"They are pushing the people away from the beaches or from overwhelmed reception centers that cannot take any more people in," he said.
He also said that locals were feeling "a mix of fear and anger" in the wake of the incursion.
"Most people did not want to come out of their houses yesterday. And most people are still staying inside today."
https://p.dw.com/p/5I85gSkip next section WATCH: Could the Ceuta crisis help Trump in the midterms?08/01/2026August 1, 2026WATCH: Could the Ceuta crisis help Trump in the midterms?
Donald Trump has called the migrant crossings into Spain an "invasion." US political analyst Michael Yaki unpacks the political strategy behind the rhetoric.
Could the Ceuta crisis help Trump in the midterms?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5I7zESkip next section IN PICTURES: Some migrants tell DW they don't want to go back to Morocco08/01/2026August 1, 2026IN PICTURES: Some migrants tell DW they don't want to go back to Morocco
Spanish police start installing floating barrier
In Ceuta, Spanish authorities started laying a new pneumatic barrier on the sea border with Morocco.
The 500-meter (1,640-feet) long barrier is designed to stand 30 to 70 centimeters (12-28 inches) above the water line and up to one meter (3.3 feet) below it. It will run parallel to a line of anchored buoys, forming a channel that would be patrolled by Spanish law enforcement.
Many of the migrants that entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta in recent days achieved that by simply swimming around the existing barrier with Morocco and gaining access to the Spanish-controlled beach.
Spain's El Mundo daily published a video online of a Guardia Civil boat installing the barrier.
https://p.dw.com/p/5I7sRSkip next section Most EU nations join call for emergency talks after Ceuta crisis08/01/2026August 1, 2026Most EU nations join call for emergency talks after Ceuta crisis
In an open letter, 22 out of the EU's 27 members demanded a video meeting of the bloc's interior ministers on Saturday.
The meeting should be convened "as a matter of urgency" to coordinate a joint response to the situation in Ceuta, and "prevent further uncontrolled crossings."
Earlier on Saturday, Spain's Pedro Sanchez also called for a meeting of interior ministers.
https://p.dw.com/p/5I7opSkip next section Sanchez: Spain managed to 'fully restore control of the border' 08/01/2026August 1, 2026Sanchez: Spain managed to 'fully restore control of the border'
In less than 48 hours following the border incursion in Ceuta, the Spanish government has managed to "fully restore control of the border, provide extensive humanitarian aid, repatriate virtually all migrants who crossed irregularly, and prevent any unauthorized movement toward continental Europe," according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
"This has been achieved in close coordination with Moroccan authorities and with very little support from other European states," he added in the letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other top EU officials.
He also pointedly noted that Spain was "one of the European Union's least porous external borders, with a number of irregular entries that is half of that recorded in Italy in recent years (2021–2026), for example."
New EU migration pact: Will the bloc deliver on promises?
The Spanish leader also expressed confidence that a meeting of EU interior ministers would help "establish a common response to situations of this kind and reaffirm that the security of our external borders is a responsibility shared by all member states, and not just by those on the Union's front lines."
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