Migrant crossings into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta stopped overnight as authorities began installing a 500-metre floating barrier off the border with Morocco following an unprecedented mass rush that left at least 67 people dead, according to thecitizen.co.tz. Spanish authorities reported that approximately 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea beginning Thursday at one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Out of that total, more than 48,000 individuals returned to Morocco within 48 hours without major incident, CNBC reported.
Spain Installs Floating Barrier in Ceuta Following Deadly Border Rush
Footage from Saturday displayed Spanish soldiers and police patrolling a largely deserted Tarajal beach covered in fog. The Civil Guard commenced installation of the new barrier at 7:50 a.m. along the Tarajal breakwater, a primary route utilized by migrants attempting to enter the Spanish territory. The pneumatic barrier, supported by anchored naval buoys, stands 30 to 70 centimetres above the water and extends about one metre below the surface, while a designated channel between the barriers permits Civil Guard vessels to patrol the area.
Casualties and Factors Driving the Surge
Officials confirmed that at least 67 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the frontier after some migrants drowned while others were crushed during attempts to scale the breakwater and border fence. Many individuals were driven to migrate by economic hardship and prompted by social media rumors promising easier entry into Europe. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting vulnerable migrants and spreading misleading interpretations of a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling stating that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily returned without a physical barrier.
Speaking from Ceuta, Grande-Marlaska stated that order had been largely restored within 24 hours, though he warned that the crisis was not formally over. He announced that reinforced police and military deployments would remain in place as long as necessary, even though overnight crossings had dropped to near zero. He further described Morocco as a fully reliable partner, noting that there was no intelligence indicating a mass entry was imminent.
EU Diplomatic Tensions and Emergency Meetings
The border crisis triggered significant divisions within the European Union. Twenty-two EU governments called for an emergency meeting of interior ministers to urge the bloc to support Madrid in restoring control of its border with Morocco. Ireland, holding the rotating EU presidency, announced an emergency video conference meeting of the bloc’s interior ministers to discuss the situation on Tuesday.
The developments also strained regional diplomatic ties. Spain’s centre-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized Italy’s right-wing government for announcing on Friday that it would suspend passport-free Schengen travel arrangements with Spain for one month. In a letter to the EU Commission, European Council, and Ireland, Sánchez wrote In the current international context, the EU cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,
as reported by dailysabah.com.
Regularization Policy Debate
Madrid stated that migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly would not be permitted to travel to mainland Spain or other parts of the Schengen zone. The Foreign Ministry noted that individuals leaving Ceuta by sea or air undergo police identity checks to provide an additional layer of control. While Spain has maintained a more open stance on migrants than much of Europe—including a program to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented people—the government rejected suggestions that the regularization scheme encouraged the rush into Ceuta. Officials stressed that applicants must prove they resided in Spain before January 1, 2026, and maintained five consecutive months of residence at the time of application.
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