Spain has announced the deployment of military personnel to its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants crossed into the territory from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting calls for emergency intervention.
The Spanish government said 60 members of the armed forces would reinforce the Civil Guard to help restore order and maintain security in Ceuta. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit the enclave alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The move follows one of the largest migrant surges into Ceuta in recent years, with Spanish media estimating that between 2,000 and 3,000 people entered the enclave on Thursday. The latest incident also comes after reports that nine people died during attempts to cross the border.
Authorities described the situation as chaotic, saying border security had been stretched beyond capacity. Video footage circulating online showed hundreds of migrants swimming across the sea using inflatable tubes and other flotation devices, while others forced their way through sections of the border fence into the city.
The mass crossing has drawn comparisons to the May 2021 migration crisis, when about 10,000 migrants entered Ceuta within a few days, placing enormous pressure on local authorities.
Ceuta’s regional government has urged Madrid to declare a national emergency and deploy additional security forces, warning that migrant reception centres are overcrowded and hundreds of people are sleeping outdoors. Regional leader Juan Jesús Vivas said more police and military personnel are needed to safeguard the border and protect residents.
Many businesses in Ceuta shut their doors as tensions rose. Some shop owners said they feared possible unrest and chose to remain closed to protect their families and property.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said government agencies are working together to manage the crisis but noted that existing legislation does not classify migration flows as grounds for declaring a national emergency. The ministry added that Moroccan authorities are cooperating closely by preventing many people from reaching the border.
The latest surge comes weeks after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla by sea cannot automatically be returned under the enclaves’ special border rules. Officials acknowledged that migrant arrivals had increased following the ruling but described Thursday’s influx as unprecedented.
Spain, which has adopted one of Europe’s more migrant-friendly policies, is also implementing a programme to regularise the status of about 500,000 undocumented migrants. Opposition parties have criticised the policy, arguing that it encourages more migrants to attempt entry into the country.
Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the northern coast of Africa bordering Morocco, remains one of the European Union’s key entry points for migrants seeking safety or better economic opportunities.
