Why did Morocco open the border to migrants at Spain's Ceuta enclave?

Analysts have said Moroccan security forces "have been sitting on their hands" as tens of thousands of people crossed the border into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday and Friday. Was the move intentional by Moroccan authorities?

At least 25,000 of the 50,000 migrants which entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco have returned.

5 min readUpdated: Jul 31, 2026 08:11 PM IST Migrants from Morocco gather by the border fence as they cross the Spanish border, swimming through the sea, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 31, 2026. (Source: @nextbrief/X) Spain rushed to contain one of the biggest migration crises in its recent history on Friday after up

Thousands of migrants have streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa from Morocco, with at least 18 dying in the attempt, prompting Spain to deploy its military to restore the border.

Anyone who has seen footage of migrants storming the Spanish enclave of Ceuta knows what will come next.

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 massive influx of 60,000 migrants into Spain’s enclave of Ceuta has triggered a crisis for Spain and the EU.

At least 34 people reported killed trying to cross into the Spanish enclave bordering Morocco.

Some 25,000 of the roughly 60,000 people who crossed illegally into Ceuta since the early hours of Friday have already been returned to Morocco.

France and the UK have offered assistance, while other countries, including Italy and Denmark called on Spain's barring from the Schengen area.

Migrants return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on Jul 31, 2026. (Photo: AP/Antonio Sempere) 31 Jul 2026 09:32PM (Updated: 31 Jul 2026 09:34PM) CEUTA: Spain said on Friday (Jul 31) that it had reversed a huge rush of migrants into a Spanish enclave in North Africa, with thousands of people who had crossed

Spain and the EU are working with Morocco to agree a response to sudden influx of some 50,000 migrants into north African enclave of Ceuta

At least 34 people have died trying to reach Ceuta in north Africa, with many said to have drowned and some killed in a deadly stampede

At least 34 migrants have died in the process

Interior ministry reports rapid departures following recent border surge

Thousands of people continued pouring into Ceuta from Morocco during the night, after Spanish police lost control of the border. The head of the city government estimated that 60,000 people had entered.

Officials estimate that more than 49,000 people crossed between Morocco and Ceuta in a 24-hour period.

When Fatima Zahra heard the rumour of a rare border opening between Morocco and Spain, she joined thousands in rushing to attempt a perilous journey into the Ceuta enclave by land or sea. AFP images showed people swimming around Ceuta's frontier fence and others clambering over barbed wire to reach European soil, as Mo

Germany's Merz demands Morocco 'take back illegal migrants immediately' from Spain's Ceuta  euractiv.com

At least 34 people have died in Spain's border crisis with Morocco, Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas says.

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

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

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

The government of Morocco, through its embassy in Madrid, blamed the massive migrant wave flooding the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on "criminal organizations" and human trafficking networks allegedly encouraging the developing crisis while profiting from their illicit work.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

For many migrants hoping to reach Europe, Ceuta offers one of the shortest routes onto EU territory.Spain has deployed its armed forces to the North African enclave of Ceuta after thousand migrants crossed into the territory from neighbouring Morocco in one of the largest border breaches in recent years. The Spanish in

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

Thousands of migrants streamed into the Moroccan town of Fnideq near the border with Ceuta overnight, despite a reinforced deployment of security that foiled most attempts to cross into the Spanish enclave.

Sleepless night near border of Spain's Ceuta as migrants torch vehicles  Dawn

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.

Sleepless night near border of Spain's Ceuta as migrants torch vehicles  Reuters

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: Thousands of migrants cross from Morocco into Spanish enclave  CNN

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

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

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 Ceuta In ‘Chaos’: What To Know About Migrant Surge  Forbes

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

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.

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

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.