Spain said migrant crossings into its North African territory of Ceuta had halted overnight as police began putting up a 500-metre floating barrier along the border with Morocco.
The move followed an extraordinary surge in arrivals, with roughly 60,000 people crossing from Morocco into Ceuta by land and sea since Thursday at one of the European Union’s few land borders with Africa.
Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said at least 67 people had died during the attempt.
More than 48,000 migrants were returned to Morocco within 48 hours, with no major incidents reported, Spanish authorities said. Reuters footage showed soldiers and police patrolling a largely deserted Tarajal beach under a blanket of fog.
The inflatable barrier, positioned alongside anchored naval buoys, is intended to rise 30 to 70 centimetres above the water and extend up to one metre beneath the surface, officials said. A passage between the two barriers will enable Civil Guard boats to patrol the area.
Officials said at least 67 bodies had been recovered on the Spanish side of the frontier. Some migrants drowned, while others were crushed as they tried to scale the breakwater and border fence.
Economic hardship drove many of those attempting the journey, while rumours circulating on social media helped fuel the movement.
Around 60,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours
EU governments call for emergency meeting
Ceuta and Spain’s other North African territory, Melilla, lie on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast and have repeatedly faced attempts by migrants to enter Europe.
The latest crisis exposed divisions within the EU, with several governments urging Spain to ensure that the situation remained contained.
A high-level meeting of senior EU officials is due to take place today in response to the emergency.
Ireland requested the meeting as part of its role in holding the EU presidency. It will bring together the bloc’s integrated political crisis response team, while a separate meeting of EU ambassadors is planned for Monday.
The decision to convene both gatherings reflects mounting concern over the events in Ceuta and their potential consequences for Spain and the EU’s broader migration rules.
In a social media post on Friday evening, Justice Minister O’Callaghan said he had requested Saturday’s meeting to support Spanish officials as they dealt with the developments in Ceuta.
I will remain in close contact with the Spanish Government, Member States and the EU institutions as the situation evolves.
— Jim O’Callaghan TD (@OCallaghanJim) July 31, 2026
EU facing pressure to hold emergency meeting over Ceuta
Schengen pressure
Madrid said those who entered Ceuta irregularly would not be permitted to continue to mainland Spain or travel elsewhere within the Schengen zone.
Spain’s foreign ministry said people leaving Ceuta by sea or air would face police identity checks, creating a second layer of screening beyond the land border with Morocco.
Unlike much of Europe, Spain has taken a comparatively open approach to migration and introduced a programme aimed at granting residency to more than half a million undocumented people.
However, the government rejected claims that the regularisation plan had encouraged the rush into Ceuta. It said applicants must demonstrate that they were living in Spain before January 1, 2026, and had completed five continuous months of residence when applying.
Mr Sanchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, called the crossings a breach of Spain’s territorial sovereignty and said returns were being expedited in cooperation with Morocco.
Additional reporting Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
