Many migrants risk their lives while trying to enter Europe by swimming from the Moroccan towns of Fnideq or Belyounech to Ceuta. Many others try to breach the secured land borders. Although Spanish authorities deport many, some are held in migrant shelters and are offered the option to apply for asylum in Spain.

Security forces stand guard as people attempt to cross from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

Spanish authorities have rejected claims that the influx was caused by Madrid’s recent plan to regularise around 500,000 undocumented migrants. The government said that the incident could be the result of a Supreme Court ruling that now prevents migrants, intercepted at sea, from being sent back to Morocco. The criminal trafficking network had exploited this ruling to send the migrants to Spain via sea, news agency Reuters quoted a government spokesperson as saying.

What happened on Thursday in Ceuta?

Videos from Tarajal beach show migrants swimming around breakwaters, floating on inner tubes and running into Spanish territory after reaching shore. While most were young men, families with women and children were also among those crossing the border. Some shouted “Viva España” and “Long live Spain” as they entered the enclave.

Shocking images of massive and uncontrolled arrivals of illegal migrants at the Spanish border today.

Uncontrolled borders demand immediate action. The EU Migration Pact and the Return Regulation can’t wait.

We urge Spain to act NOW to secure our external borders and the… pic.twitter.com/dyhwkj5H84

— EPP Group (@EPPGroup) July 30, 2026

“It was very tough. The police tried to stop us. But our will and determination allowed us to come here,” migrant Jadid Zacaria told Reuters after reaching drenched in Ceuta.

The sudden influx has overwhelmed Ceuta’s reception centres beyond capacity. Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas urged Madrid to declare a national emergency, and stated that hundreds of migrants were sleeping on the streets and calling for more security personnel, infrastructure and resources.

According to the reports, Spain has deployed 200 specialised police officers and 60 troops from the mainland to reinforce security. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit the enclave with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Security forces stand guard as people attempt to cross from the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

Meanwhile, violence also erupted at the Beni Ansar crossing into Melilla, Spain’s second North African enclave, while local authorities said nine bodies had been recovered in Ceuta and at least 60 migrant deaths were recorded in recent months.

Italian PM Meloni’s response to the mass crossing

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in her X post, wrote that the scenes from Ceuta are evidence of the security challenges posed by irregular migration and that this shows the vulnerability of Europe’s borders. Meloni said she had discussed the situation with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. “Italy will not stand by and watch. We are convening the relevant bodies, and following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain… On illegal immigration, we will not yield an inch: defending the borders, stopping human traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations will continue to be the line of this Government,” Meloni wrote.

Le immagini che arrivano da Ceuta sono impressionanti e dimostrano, ancora una volta, che l’immigrazione clandestina fuori controllo rappresenta una minaccia concreta per la sicurezza dei confini europei.

Mi sono confrontata con il Ministro dell’Interno Matteo Piantedosi.…

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 30, 2026

Political blame game

Opposition People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said that the situation is a national security crisis, while Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticised Madrid’s migration policy.

The Spanish government rejected claims, saying that its recent programme to regularise around 5,00,000 undocumented migrants had caused the surge. Instead, it blamed criminal trafficking networks for exploiting a recent Supreme Court ruling that limits the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla, Reuters reported.