Spain says migrants leaving Ceuta after mass influx in which 67 died
Spain has installed a containment barrier in Ceuta following a mass migrant influx that resulted in at least 67 deaths. Most of the 60,000 migrants have returned to Morocco, while EU ministers prepare for an emergency meeting to address the border crisis.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding migration policy and border security within the European Union's Schengen area.
EU ministers to hold meeting next week to coordinate bloc’s response to crisis in North African Spanish enclave.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Members of Spain’s Guardia Civil USECIC tactical reserve unit block migrants who crossed the border from Morocco on Tarajal beach in Ceuta, Spain, on July 31, 2026 [Adri Salido/Getty Images] By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 1 Aug 2026 1 Aug 2026 CEUTA, Spain – Spain has installed a 500-metre (1,640-foot) containment barrier along its sea border between its North African territory of Ceuta and Morocco following a sudden rush of migrants that left at least 67 dead.
Civil Guard officers began work early Saturday at the Tarajal breakwater, a stretch of coast heavily used during the recent migrant crossings, a surge Spain called a violation of its sovereignty.
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