Thousands of illegal African migrants overrun Spanish enclave, turn streets into open toilets and bathe in fountains: ‘An apocalypse’

An unprecedented wave of nearly 50,000 illegal migrants from Africa has flooded the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, prompting Spain to deploy its military – as locals liken the invasion to an “apocalypse.”

Tragedy strikes as 18 migrants die attempting to enter Spain’s Ceuta from Morocco. Thousands stormed the border, leading to drownings and stampedes.

About 49,000 migrants have crossed into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours via land and sea, officials estimate.

49,000 migrants have crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in the last 24 hours

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Without shelter, thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, have been sleeping in parks and on pavements.

Thousands of people continued pouring into Ceuta from Morocco during the night, after Spanish police lost control of the border. Unofficial estimates from security forces suggested more than 40,000 gained entry in a day.

Tens of thousands reportedly cross from Morocco to Ceuta as France says it will tighten its borders with Spain.

In the span of 24 hours, Spanish authorities estimate that over 49,000 migrants crossed in Spain from Morocco, with at least 18 dying as they tried to reach the enclave of Ceuta. The migrants crossed the border by swimming across, sometimes spending hours in the water. The arrivals are way over half the population of t

At least 18 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta after thousands of people breached the frontier with Morocco and poured in.

Thousands of migrants have streamed into Europe via a tiny Spanish enclave in recent days, prompting calls for a national emergency.

Around 40,000 migrants cross from Morocco into Spain's Ceuta, police say  euractiv.com

The sudden massive influx has sparked a crisis for Spain's government and prompted France to announce tighter checks on its border with Spain.

Migrants force their way into buildings, hurl rocks at police and surge towards supermarkets - after 49,000 flooded through border of Spanish enclave  lbc.co.uk

Record influx into North African territory is nearly five times higher than at peak of Europe’s 2015 migration crisis

At the gates into Ceuta, Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon trucks and pushed people back

Thousands of migrants crossed overnight from Morocco into Spain's north Africa's Ceuta enclave, a police source said on Friday, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was set to arrive to manage the latest migrant crisis on the border. In recent days, a total of around 40,000 migrants have crossed into the ter

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was set to arrive in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in Africa, amid an escalating crisis for his pro-immigration government.

Around 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain's Ceuta enclave over the past 24 hours by land and sea, according to Spain's interior ministry.

Word that the border gate had opened drew crowds, days after a Supreme Court ruling weakened Spainish authorities' power to summarily return sea migrants

Madrid is sending troops to bolster security in its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants swam from Morocco into the territory on Thursday.

Spain, Morocco halt deadly rush on Spanish enclave after 49,000 cross in a day  Reuters

At least 18 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta, where Spain has deployed its military after thousands breached the border with Morocco

At least 18 migrants died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta after thousands of people breached the frontier with Morocco and poured into the tiny Spanish territory.

At least eighteen migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, where Spain deployed its military after thousands of people breached the border with Morocco and poured into the tiny Spanish territory.

CEUTA, Spain (AP) — At least 18 migrants died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta after thousands of people breached the frontier with Morocco and poured into the tiny Spanish territory. The border crisis boiled over Thursday and overnight. Spain’s state broadcaster RTVE broadcast images of burned cars on th

CEUTA, Spain/ FNIDEQ, Morocco, July 31 - Spain and Morocco reinforced the border fence of a Spanish enclave on Friday and appeared to have halted mass crossings, after around 49,000 people arrived by sea and land in a single day, with at least 19 dead bodies found in the water.

5 min readJul 31, 2026 02:07 PM IST Migrants try to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Source: AP) Thousands of migrants crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, overwhelming local authorities, prompting Madrid to deploy troops and leavin

Thousands of people breached the border with Morocco to pour into the Spanish territory on the north African coast.

This comes after thousands of migrants were reported to have illegally crossed into the territory on Thursday and Friday.

Nearly 50,000 migrants storm Spanish border as socialist PM Pedro Sanchez condemned over 'invasion'  GB News

Spain, Morocco halt deadly rush on Spanish enclave after 49,000 cross in a day  CNN

Some drowned and others caught up in crush, official says, and thousands sleep on streets or in parks At least 18 people have died trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after about 49,000 migrants breached the border with Morocco and poured into the tiny territory. Spain sent ​military and police reinforcements

What to know about the Spanish enclave of Ceuta as migrant arrivals from Morocco spike  Toronto Star

At least 18 die after breach of border between Morocco and Spanish exclave of Ceuta  AP News

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday planned to head to the country's north African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of illegal migrants crossed the frontier.

Thousands of asylum seekers stormed the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in Morocco on Thursday, reaching the exclave by swimming, boat, or climbing over fences.

Hundreds of people were converging on Morocco's northern town of Fnideq on Thursday evening, following rumours that the border with Spain's Ceuta had opened, according to an AFP journalist

The human tide crossing the border transformed the Spanish exclave city in a matter of hours, turning it into a scene of confusion that authorities struggled to control

Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt.

A Guardia Civil spokesperson said earlier the migrants were “massively entering from the sea” through the Tarajal breakwater

State television TVE reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday as Spain deployed military units to reinforce police there.

Several fires are being reported in Morocco's Beni-Enzar town

Video shows thousands of migrants overwhelming Ceuta's Tarajal border as Spain deploys its military and at least nine people die during crossings.

Several fires are being reported in a Moroccan port town neighbouring a Spanish territory as riots broke out

Fires have broken out on the border between Morocco and a Spanish territory in north Africa after clashed erupted with police when migrants stormed the border

Spain recovered the bodies of nine migrants who died while trying to swim to Ceuta, allegedly after rumours spread that the border had opened

Video footage shows crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads

Thousands of migrants streamed into the Spanish city of Ceuta on foot and by sea from Morocco on Thursday, as federal troops helped overwhelmed police. Several migrants were reported dead. Matt Gutman reports.

Thousands of migrants have been reported to have made the crossing earlier this week, some by water, leading to the Spain deploying troops to the border.

Nine dead as thousands of migrants enter Spain's Ceuta enclave from Morocco | ITV News  ITVX

Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt.

Police overwhelmed as thousands of migrants have rushed across the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Police overwhelmed as thousands of migrants have rushed across the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Spain's military will help secure the border as more migrants try to reach the territory by sea, with nine people confirmed dead.

The announcement comes after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that had been building up.

Thousands of Migrants Pour Across Border Into a Tiny Spanish Territory  WSJ

Spain’s Ceuta Territory Overwhelmed With Migrants From Morocco: What We Know  Forbes

Migrants storm Morocco’s border with Spanish territory  thetimes.com

Thousands of migrants entered Ceuta by sea and through a breached fence, prompting emergency calls as local businesses shut amid fears of unrest.

The Spanish enclave Ceuta has witnessed an unprecedent arrival of illegal migrants from Morocco, requesting Madrid to declare a state of emergency.

Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, has urged the Spanish government to declare a national emergency and take control of managing the crisis in the autonomous city.

Thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, prompting local officials to call on Spain to declare a national emergency and send the army to restore the frontier. Spain’s interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation

The exclave city’s local leader, Juan Vivas, has called on Spain’s central government to help, calling the situation ‘a total humanitarian and social emergency.’ In recent days police have recovered more than 25 bodies of migrants who drowned trying to swim to the city

Footage shows crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach in Ceuta and running on the beach and roads

The president of the Spanish enclave described the situation as a 'total humanitarian and social emergency' in comments broadcast on Spanish television.

Officials in the tiny Spanish coastal territory of Ceuta have asked for a national emergency to be declared after thousands of migrants arrived from Morocco.

Trump blasted Europe's migrant crisis and its leaders for doing nothing to stem it, as he revealed his discussion with new UK PM Burnham.