Spain has installed a 500-metre floating containment barrier along the sea border between its North African enclave of Ceuta and Morocco following a mass influx of migrants that left dozens dead.
Civil Guard officers began installing the barrier early Saturday near the Tarajal breakwater, an area heavily used during the recent crossings. Spanish authorities described the influx as a “violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty”.
Spanish officials said more than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco since Thursday morning, while the head of Ceuta’s local government, Juan Jesús Vivas, estimated that the number could have reached 60,000.
Most of those who entered have since returned to Morocco voluntarily. Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Friday that virtually all those who entered Ceuta have now returned to Morocco.
The Spanish government said at least 57 people had died on the Spanish side of the border, while other reports put the overall death toll at 67. Officials warned that there could be additional casualties on the Moroccan side.
Some migrants drowned while attempting to reach Spanish territory by sea, while others were reportedly crushed while trying to climb the breakwater supporting the border fence.
Moroccan forces push back migrants
Moroccan security forces deployed riot police, tear gas and water cannon near the border on Friday night as groups attempted to reach Ceuta.
Spain’s Interior Ministry estimated that around 37,500 people had returned to Morocco by Friday, while later figures indicated that approximately 48,300 had returned by early evening. Hundreds were seen moving back through official border posts and openings in the fence, with some saying they had been unable to find food or shelter after entering Ceuta.
Honestly, I don’t even know why I came, and now I’m going back, a young Moroccan man from Tangier told Reuters. I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday, even though I brought some money with me … What we’re doing is neither good nor enjoyable.
The border remained heavily guarded, with Spanish military vehicles deployed along parts of the frontier. Moroccan security forces also maintained a strong presence around the town of Fnideq, from where thousands of migrants had moved towards the border.
Although the main crossing was later blocked, groups continued moving along the coast in search of alternative routes. Among those attempting to reach Ceuta were women and children from Morocco and sub-Saharan African countries.
Spain links crossings to security concerns
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to Ceuta on Friday as authorities worked to return migrants to Morocco.
Sánchez said the mass crossing represented “a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty” and said the government was accelerating the repatriation of those who had entered illegally, with cooperation from Moroccan authorities.
Vivas called for the remaining migrants to be returned and urged Madrid to strengthen security measures for Ceuta’s residents. He said additional personnel and technology were needed at the Tarajal crossing to allow it to fulfil its role as the EU’s external border in Africa.
The Spanish Guardia Civil police association also claimed there had been insufficient numbers of officers monitoring the border fence during the initial surge, leaving them unable to stop the crossing.
Ceuta authorities and Spanish officials have linked the sudden influx to a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court concerning migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla.
The ruling prevents authorities from immediately rejecting certain migrants at the border, although experts have stressed that it does not prevent their eventual expulsion.
Sánchez said rumours about the court decision had been spread by criminal networks and may have encouraged people to attempt the crossing. However, activists in Morocco questioned whether the ruling could have played a significant role, arguing that many migrants would not have known about the legal decision.
EU countries call for coordinated response
The scale of the migration surge has prompted an emergency response from European governments, particularly those within the Schengen Area, where internal border controls have largely been abolished.
Twenty-two EU governments called for an urgent meeting of interior ministers to coordinate the bloc’s response and prevent further uncontrolled crossings.
Ireland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said it would convene a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council on Tuesday. The meeting will follow discussions between EU ambassadors and a session of the bloc’s Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said protecting Europe’s external borders was a shared responsibility.
“Defending the external borders of the Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe,” Meloni wrote on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the images emerging from Ceuta as “unacceptable”.
The crisis has also raised the possibility of temporary controls being strengthened along internal European borders. France said it would increase checks along its border with Spain, while Italy threatened to consider extraordinary measures, including suspending the Schengen arrangement with Spain.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he had ordered authorities “to immediately step up checks at the Spanish border”.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani accused Spain’s migration regularisation policy of having “encouraged human trafficking”, prompting Madrid to summon the Italian ambassador over the remarks.
Migration policy divides Europe
The Ceuta crisis has reignited one of Europe’s most contentious political debates, with governments divided over border security, migration policy and the future of the Schengen system.
Spain has pursued a more permissive approach to migration than several other European governments and recently introduced a regularisation programme that allows hundreds of thousands of unauthorised migrants to seek legal residency under specific conditions.
Critics argue that such measures could encourage further migration, while the Spanish government maintains that migrants contribute to the country’s economy and that its border controls remain firm.
US President Donald Trump also commented on the situation, warning about the potential consequences of migration policy. According to Fox News, Trump said: “That’s going to be us in three years if the wrong side gets in,” referring to the next US presidential election.
Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish autonomous cities on the North African coast, form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Both have experienced repeated attempts by migrants to enter Spanish territory, but the scale of the latest influx has been described as unprecedented.
The installation of the new floating barrier is expected to form part of Spain’s efforts to prevent further mass crossings, while EU governments prepare to discuss a broader response to the crisis.
