How 20,000 migrants SWAM into Spanish enclave

Thousands of migrants who flooded a Spanish enclave may be protected by a new loophole created by the country’s Supreme Court. 

Officials estimated that 20,000 migrants were able to bypᴀss a long border fence between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta on Thursday. 

The crowd, largely made up of people from Morocco and Algeria, were seen swimming far out to sea on the Moroccan side, before swimming back on the Spanish side and rushing through. 

Many were seen celebrating, with some shouting: ‘Long live Spain!’ 

Shockingly, upon their arrival, the migrants were seen apparently trying to break into homes across the city late at night, with local media reporting that a Moroccan couple carrying a baby used a ladder to climb up to a first-floor window, break a window, and climb in. 

The rush started on Thursday afternoon, and carried on well into the night, even after Spanish military units were deployed to the enclave from the mainland. 

Even after the crossing was closed off following the surge of people, hundreds of people were seen at the border in the Moroccan town of Fnideq.  

Police unions said following the influx of migrants that they were emboldened by a decision in the country’s Supreme Court earlier this month that created a ‘pull factor’ for them to rush through.

Migrants were seen apparently trying to break into homes across the Ceuta after invating the Spanish territory on Thursday 

Terrifying footage showed scores of people seemingly breaking into homes across the city late at night

Migrants try to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Spanish army soldiers travel in military vehicles after being deployed to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

The powerful judicial body ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla – another Spanish enclave further along the Moroccan coast – cannot be summarily returned under the enclaves’ special border-rejection regime.

The ruling established that migrants who arrive by sea cannot be immediately pushed back across the border without due process, unlike those who cross into Spain by land – by physically climbing over the border fence, for example. 

Police unions said this Supreme Court decision created a ‘pull factor’ for migrants. 

The Unified Police Union said the surge came ‘after the Supreme Court rejected border rejections, complicating deportations’.

It added: ‘We demand the Government immediately reinforce the National Police and Civil Guard personnel at the border with Morocco.’ 

Some activists, including Omar Naji, president of the Moroccan ᴀssociation of Human Rights in Eastern Morocco, expressed doubt that the Supreme Court ruling was behind the surge. 

Most Moroccans would have been unaware of such legal decisions, he said.

Upon their arrival, the migrants, largely made up of people from Morocco and Algeria, went into the city of around 84,000. 

Migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Officials estimated that 20,000 migrants were able to bypᴀss a long border fence between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta on Thursday

Migrants cheer after they cross into Spain from Morocco

In response, enraged Spanish citizens were seen taking to the streets to push them back. Many were seen waving Spanish flags and screaming at them. 

As a group of migrants were seen running away, a loud police siren was heard in the background. 

Terrifying footage showed scores of people seemingly breaking into homes across the city late at night. 

One clip appeared to show a man on top of a ladder, hitting a first-floor window with a object. 

Another clip showed dozens of people rushing into a single door, as the person filming cowers on their balcony. 

A man was heard letting off a sharp whistle, apparently telling others that there was somewhere to rest. 

As some people were able to make their way inside, scores of more migrants were seen running up to the open door, desperate to find a place to rest.  

After migrants flooded into the city, many local shops chose to close early. 

Enrique Serrano, who runs a women’s clothing store in central Ceuta, told Reuters business owners were organising self-defence because they believed police resources would be insufficient.

People stand next to barbed wires during an attempted crossing from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Security forces stand guard as people attempt to cross from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

The rush started on Thursday afternoon, and carried on well into the night

Security forces stand guard as people attempt to cross from the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Upon their arrival, the migrants, largely made up of people from Morocco and Algeria, went into the city of around 84,000

Moment angry locals waving Spanish flags chase migrants down the street after 1,000s invade enclave

‘I’m not opening this afternoon because the situation is extremely tense … The first thing I have to do is protect my business and my family,’ he said, adding that when the fence was breached after midnight, hundreds of migrants rushed through in a matter of minutes. 

Even before Thursday’s mᴀss influx of people, local officials said that around 1,500 migrants managed to get into Ceuta by sea in recent days. 

The president of the territory, Juan Jesus Vivas, said: ‘The reception centres are saturated – there is no more room for anyone in them and according to yesterday’s figures the number of people entering is more than 200 a day.’

He added that facilities for unaccompanied minors were operating at 2,400 per cent of capacity.

Mr Vivas also pointed to the human cost of the crossings, saying 60 bodies had been recovered at sea in recent months, and argued that stronger migration controls would help prevent further deaths.

Spain’s Interior Ministry, which tracks irregular migration, would not confirm the number of migrants who had made it to Ceuta in the last few days but said it would publish its next migration report on August 3. 

As of July 15, well before the latest rush, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea since the start of the year, according to ministry figures. 

Mr Vivas declared a ‘total humanitarian and social emergency’, with at least 60 migrants washing up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the last few months and camps completely overwhelmed. Spain’s government said that 18 people died while trying to reach Ceuta on Thursday alone. 

Officials in Ceuta begged the national government in Madrid to declare a national emergency, which was rebuffed. 

Security forces stand guard as people attempt to cross from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Migrants from Morocco react as they crossed into Ceuta by sea, at the border between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026

Enraged Spanish citizens took to the streets to push migrants back. Many were seen waving flags and screaming

As a group of people were seen running away, a loud police siren was heard in the background

Crowds of migrants gather on the beach of Ceuta

People reach Spanish territory after swimming from Morocco to Ceuta

Central government officials claimed that migration crises were not a good enough reason to call a national emergency but promised additional resources after police unions decried the lack of personnel and equipment in Ceuta. 

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Following the request from local authorities, Madrid sent in the army to help deal with the crisis. 

The government added that 200 specialised police officers and 60 troops had arrived from the Spanish mainland to reinforce the enclave’s regular forces.

If official estimates of the number of people who illegally entered are confirmed, the migratory incident will be the largest irregular entry of people into Spain in its history. 

The surge of people has already begun to affect Spain’s relationship with its neighbours. 

Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said in a post to X that she was going to push for ‘the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain’.

She wrote: ‘ The images coming from Ceuta are striking and demonstrate, once again, that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders. 

‘I have spoken with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Italy will not stand by and watch. 

‘We are convening the relevant bodies, and following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain. 

‘On illegal immigration, we will not yield an inch: defending the borders, stopping human traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations will continue to be the line of this Government.’ 

Spanish military stands guard at the border between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, after thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta by sea, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026

Migrants from Morocco react as they crossed into Ceuta by sea, at the border between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026

A view of the border between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, as Spanish military stands guard, after thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta by sea, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026

This sentiment was echoed by her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, who said he was ‘in favour’ of closing the free travel zone with Spain. 

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He wrote in a post to X: ‘The images coming out of Ceuta show that the Madrid government’s decision to grant Spanish – and therefore European – citizenship to over 500,000 irregular migrants is profoundly misguided and encourages human trafficking.’

And Brussels has been forced to intervene, offering operational and financial reinforcements to Spain, including the deployment of Frontex – the EU’s border force. 

Despite the chaotic scene, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on authorities to ‘ensure that the rights and dignity of all people arriving in Ceuta are respected’.

It comes after the country’s socialist government approved plans to give around 500,000 undocumented migrants legal status earlier this year. 

Spain’s foreign ministry on Thursday night denied that the deluge of people had nothing to do with the regularisation efforts. A source told Spanish newspaper ABC: ‘It is false that anyone who has crossed the border in recent days can benefit from this process, as it requires very specific conditions, such as proving residency in Spain before January 1, 2026, and having resided in Spain for five consecutive months at the time of submitting the application.’

According to EFE, hundreds of youths could be seen scaling the security fencing – ⁠which was not being guarded by police at the time – and entered Ceuta, while members of the Moroccan auxiliary force responsible for security on the ground withdrew as the young people pᴀssed. 

Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement that several ministries were ‘acting in coordination to respond with the utmost speed and efficiency to the situation in Ceuta’.

Several of the country’s largest police unions blasted the government for not giving local cops enough resources to deal with the influx. 

Jupol, which represents the National Police in Spain, said: ‘The National Police officers stationed in Ceuta continue to work at the limit of their capabilities, with a clear lack of personnel and material resources to cope with a situation of this magnitude.’

Migrants from Morocco cross into Ceuta by sea and gather near the border fence between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026

Thousands of migrants pictured on the beach of Ceuta

Migrants reach Spanish territory after swimming from Morocco to Ceuta

A young man kisses the ground as migrants arrive in Ceuta

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Jucil, which represents members of Spain’s Civil Guard, meanwhile denounced ‘the lack of personnel and resources’, adding: ‘Why haven’t more human and material resources been deployed?’

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Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska would travel to Ceuta on Friday ‘to monitor the situation’ and meet officials, it said. 

The ministry said the government had increased its resources ‘to guarantee security and control of migration as well as the necessary humanitarian aid, so that no lives are put in danger at sea’.

It said the Moroccan government was working ‘faithfully and permanently with Spain and collaborating closely to deal with the situation’.

The ministry added: ‘Moroccan security forces are preventing the arrival of numerous people who are trying to reach Ceuta from Morocco.’

But many in the country accused Morocco of being behind the influx of migrants.  

Jupol, the police union, said: ‘Morocco has seized an opportunity within its hybrid warfare strategy, once again using migratory pressure on Ceuta as a tool for political blackmail.’

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the hard-Right Vox party, said in a post to X: ‘They’re not coming fleeing from any war or poverty. It’s an invasion. They are men of military age called by Pedro Sánchez’s corrupt government to storm our borders. 

He added: ‘For every rape, every stabbing, and every slash to the pockets of Spaniards to keep them afloat… there is a direct culprit: the mafia boss desperately calling in more hitmen to stay in power.’

Spanish president Pedro Sanchez added on X that Spain is ‘fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation in Ceuta’.

‘This is the moment to build solutions, with responsibility and cooperation,’ he said.

In comments to Onda Cero, he described the situation as a national emergency and called for a ‘decisive, forceful, immediate and coordinated’ response under a single command structure.

Migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Migrants gather on the beach of Ceuta after arriving in Spain

Migration from Morocco into Spain’s two north African territories, Ceuta and Melilla, has long been a politically sensitive issue between the two countries

Ceuta, together with Melilla – another Spanish autonomous city located in North Africa – represents the European Union’s only land border with Africa. 

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Ceuta, which is perched on a historical isthmus, has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Its mixed population of Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers, live in relative harmony behind a border fence that many desperate migrants from across Africa attempt to cross for a better life in Europe. 

Both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe. 

Spain on Thursday closed the Melilla border crossing, after what local officials described as an attempted mᴀss entry of migrants.  

Officials feared Ceuta could face a situation comparable to the May 2021 migration crisis, when more than 8,000 people entered the enclave in just two days.

The interior ministry said Moroccan security forces were helping to curb arrivals from its territory.

Mr Vivas called for changes to Spain’s immigration framework, saying legal shortcomings exposed by the recent Supreme Court ruling needed to be addressed.

Mr Grande-Marlaska, in an interview with Spanish television channel laSєxta, acknowledged authorities were facing ‘an extraordinary, exceptional situation’.

He ᴀsserted that ‘we are dealing with it with the means that we already have deployed there permanently’.

Spain’s Civil Guard, maritime Rescue Services and even the Red Cross have been using boats to pick up swimmers before taking them to Ceuta. Hundreds of migrants are now sleeping outside a migrant reception centre that is over capacity.

Those attempting the crossing are mainly Moroccans, along with a small number of Algerians who had been living in Morocco while trying to migrate to Europe, according to activists in Morocco and Ceuta.

It was not clear what prompted so many migrants to swim to Ceuta.

A migrant is taken care of by a medic on the beach

A young man arrives on the beach with a rubber ring

Migrants try to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, Thursday, July 30

Police help migrants who crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco

The interior ministry said Moroccan security forces were helping to curb arrivals from its territory

A migrant uses a rubber ring while trying to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Migrants are intercepted by Spanish Civil Guard officers after arriving in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco

The timing of the crossing, occurring after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune last week, reminded Mr Naji of the border crisis of May 2021.

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At the time, Morocco was accused of easing border controls and allowing migrants to cross into the enclave after Spain allowed Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to receive medical treatment at a Spanish hospital, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid. 

The pro-independence Polisario Front for decades has claimed to be the legitimate representative of the indigenous Sahrawi people of disputed Western Sahara.

On Wednesday, Spain’s interior minister praised Moroccan authorities, saying they were cooperating and that the relationship with the kingdom was ‘close and based on loyalty’.

‘They are also limiting irregular departures,’ he told laSєxta.

It comes as four migrants died attempting to cross the Channel overnight.

Three women and a man lost their lives in separate incidents on the French side of the Channel overnight.

The tragedies unfolded shortly after Wednesday witnessed what was thought to have been the largest number of small boat crossings this year.

Unofficial estimates reported by GB News put the total at 730, beating the 710 seen on June 15.

And a small boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday causing the death of a pᴀssenger and leading to the ‘near drowning’ of a baby.

Migrants arrive after crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Spanish police officers respond as migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

Migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026

The disaster unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning in the sea off Neufchâtel-Hardelot, south of Boulogne.

Local mayor Paulette Juilien-Peuvion described how more than 100 people, including women and children, were attempting to board a flimsy inflatable designed for around 15 pᴀssengers.

‘One man died and six were seriously hurt,’ she said during a visit to the scene later in the day.

Meanwhile, three women were found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ near the port of Dunkirk, French authorities said on Thursday. They are understood to have been on a separate boat to the man who died. 

The women were brought to shore as French emergency services rushed to the scene; however, attempts to resuscitate them failed and all three were declared ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

They were reportedly aged around 20, 30 and 50.