Thousands of migrants, predominantly Moroccan, crossed the border into Ceuta from Morocco over several days in late July, often swimming, in what local authorities describe as absolute chaos.
The human toll is heavy: at least nine deaths were recorded on Thursday, July 30, a figure that is part of a larger series of deaths since the beginning of the year on this shoreline.
The Spanish government deployed the army to reinforce the Guardia Civil, whose local forces were deemed overwhelmed by the scale of the influx.
Where it breaks apart
— Responsibility for the migration crisis — The United States and Russia attribute the influx to deliberate political failure on the part of the Spanish government, deemed too permissive, while Spain and Germany explain it primarily through a technical judicial decision by the Supreme Court limiting immediate deportations of migrants who arrived by sea.
— Scale and reliability of figures — Russia relays the most extreme estimates, mentioning up to 30,000 migrants massed on the Moroccan side and comparing the event to the fall of Rome, while Spain, France and the United Kingdom stick to more measured official figures, between 1,500 and 3,000 arrivals.
— Dominant nature of the crisis — For Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia, the crisis is primarily a security matter, centered on the collapse of border control and military response, while Turkey and Argentina favor a humanitarian reading focused on the death toll and social urgency.
Explore every perspective on this subject across 9 countries.
Compare viewpoints and see where they diverge.
Conflits & Securite
Thousands of Migrants Cross from Morocco into Spain's Ceuta Enclave
Several thousand migrants have crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in recent days, many of them swimming from Tarajal beach. The Spanish government recorded at least nine deaths on Thursday 30 July and announced the deployment of soldiers, a diving unit and a navy vessel to reinforce the Guardia Civil. It is the largest migration surge recorded in the enclave since the May 2021 crisis. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska are due to travel to Ceuta on Friday 31 July.
Key figures
9 dead
Official toll of people who died during the crossings toward Ceuta on Thursday
