Thousands start returning to Morocco after mass arrivals in Spain's Ceuta

At least 34 people have died attempting to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, according to Spanish authorities. Officials are pushing for a national emergency to be declared as around 60,000 migrants crossed into the territory via land and sea over the past 24 hours. Over 37,500 have since gone back. It i

The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, estimated that 60,000 migrants had entered the enclave from Morocco and said that at least 34 people had died.

The border crisis boiled over Thursday and continued on Friday with security forces clashing with migrants on the Moroccan side of the border.

Thousands make dramatic sea crossing into Ceuta from Morocco Areeb Ullah on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:16 Spain says around 60,000 people entered the North African enclave by land and sea, including thousands of children People from Morocco arrive at the Spanish border in Ceuta on 31 July 2026,

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

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

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