Spain deploys troops to Ceuta as thousands of migrants overwhelm border in chaotic surge
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Spain deploys troops to Ceuta as thousands of migrants overwhelm border in chaotic surge
Ceuta declares humanitarian emergency as migrant arrivals overwhelm Spanish enclave
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Thousands of migrants swarmed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, overwhelming police at the city’s breakwater after swimming over from the Moroccan side, according to Spain’s Guardia Civil police. The sudden influx has prompted local authorities to call for a national emergency and military support to restore order.
The situation in Ceuta has been described as "absolute chaos" by Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers in Ceuta. "It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing," Sbihi said, adding that the border had "totally collapsed." Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads.
In response to the crisis, the Spanish interior ministry announced that it would deploy 60 soldiers to Ceuta to assist with border security. The ministry also stated that it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border, although it clarified that the government could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns.
Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of Ceuta, described the situation as a "total humanitarian and social emergency" in comments broadcast on Spanish television. Vivas has called on the central government to take control of managing the crisis and to declare a national emergency. "The reception centers are collapsed and saturated," Vivas told reporters, warning that the territory’s resources were under severe strain.
The influx of migrants has pushed the reception centers in Ceuta beyond capacity, with hundreds of people reportedly sleeping outdoors as emergency services struggle to cope. The majority of the migrants are Moroccan nationals, with smaller numbers of Algerians who had been living in Morocco while attempting to reach Europe, according to activists monitoring migration in Morocco and Ceuta.
The sea crossing remains highly dangerous, with dozens of migrants reported to have died attempting the journey. Vivas said around 60 bodies were spotted at sea over the past year. Spain’s Interior Ministry declined to confirm the reported number of recent arrivals, referring reporters instead to its regular migration statistics, with the next official report due August 3.
The reason behind the sudden surge remains unclear. Vivas suggested that a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling—requiring due process for migrants arriving by sea rather than allowing their immediate return—may have encouraged more crossings.
Local officials in Ceuta have called on Spain to declare a national emergency and send the army to restore the frontier. The Spanish government has responded by deploying additional police and military personnel to the region. The interior ministry has also emphasized the importance of cooperation with Morocco to manage the situation and prevent further irregular migration.
Spain’s Civil Guard, Maritime Rescue Service, and the Red Cross have been deploying boats to intercept exhausted swimmers before bringing them safely ashore in Ceuta. While migrant crossings typically increase during the summer because of calmer seas and warmer weather, Ceuta officials said the current wave is unusually large.
Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as “exceptional.” “The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,” he said.
The Spanish government has announced that it will deploy troops to Ceuta to help with border security. The interior ministry has stated that the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border will be guaranteed.
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