About 49,000 migrants enter Spanish enclave of Ceuta, officials say
Approximately 49,000 migrants have crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta within a 24-hour period. The surge has resulted in at least 18 deaths and follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that limits the summary return of migrants intercepted at sea.
Why it matters
This represents a significant humanitarian and border security crisis for the European Union, highlighting the ongoing challenges of migration management in North African enclaves.
Image source, Reuters Published 31 July 2026, 09:16 BST Updated Just now About 49,000 migrants have crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours, officials estimate.
Videos and images showed thousands of people swimming into the city on Thursday, while local media reported crossings continuing overnight.
Officials say at least 18 people have died while trying to reach the territory in recent days.
This comes after Spain's Supreme Court ruled this month that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish enclave, cannot be summarily returned to Morocco.
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