Thousands reach Ceuta: migration crisis at Europe's southern border

Symbolic image: Strait of Gibraltar between Morocco and Spain · Photo: public domain (NASA), via Wikimedia Commons

⏱ 3 min · Politics & World · 2 August 2026

At the Strait of Gibraltar, where only a few kilometres separate Morocco from Europe, the situation is escalating: in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta – with Melilla the EU's only land border with Africa – thousands arrived from Morocco in late July. Many swam around the Tarajal and Benzú breakwaters; some came in small boats.

Over about ten days, according to the city government, 1,500 to 2,000 people reached Ceuta. At the end of the month, authorities said far more pushed across the border; a large share were returned to Morocco almost immediately. At least 18 people died – many drowned, some in the crush at the Tarajal breakwater; other reports cite higher tolls. The figures are provisional.

Spain's government vowed to restore order and sent many arrivals back. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised what he called a “selfish” EU response. On 1 August, Italy began targeted checks on non-EU travellers arriving from Spain. Migration remains one of Europe's most divisive issues, with far-right parties gaining ground in many countries.

In context: the case lays bare the dilemma at Europe's external border – between a humanitarian duty toward people in distress, including minors, and the overwhelmed capacity of a small city. Spain's Supreme Court recently ruled that migrants intercepted at sea may not simply be returned to Morocco.

Sources incl.: Al Jazeera, TIME, CNN. Symbolic image, public domain (NASA).