Spain announced on Friday, July 31st, 2026, that it had largely reversed a surge of migrants into its North African enclave of Ceuta. According to Spain's Interior Ministry, around 60,000 people crossed the border since Thursday morning, with approximately 25,000 already returning voluntarily to Morocco by land and sea.

Moroccan forces used batons and tear gas to prevent more migrants from storming into Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on a sandy spit extending into the Mediterranean from Morocco.

The situation sparked reactions across Europe. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the scenes as "unacceptable," stating, "We cannot allow anyone to come to our (European) Union without abiding by our rules."

Italy called for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen open-borders zone, prompting Spain to summon Italy's ambassador and accuse Rome of exploiting the crisis politically. Finland and Denmark supported Italy's call, with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning that "uncontrolled immigration poses a threat to Europe and to Denmark" and urging the EU to consider all options, including suspending Schengen cooperation.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded that Morocco "take back illegal migrants immediately."

France and Britain expressed readiness to assist Spain with the sudden migrant surge, though France also announced it was tightening border checks with Spain.

Sources