A sudden surge into Ceuta overwhelmed local services and left scores dead and injured. The scale raises urgent questions about EU border policy and humanitarian response.
On Sunday, August 2, 2026, the death toll from the mass crossing of the Morocco–Spain border in Ceuta rose to at least 72 people, and five bodies were found along the city’s coastline, officials said.
More than 50,000 people crossed the Ceuta border by land and sea in an unprecedented surge that began on Thursday at one of the EU’s two external borders with Africa. Most people returned to Morocco within 48 hours, others over the weekend, Spanish officials said.
A government spokesperson in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, told reporters on Sunday that, in addition to the 72 dead, more than 1,000 people had received medical care since Thursday. The situation in the city has significantly improved, but the work to restore normal life continues.
Some migrants drowned or were crushed while trying to climb the breakwater and the border fence. Many of them were forced to migrate due to economic hardship and the spread of rumors on social media.
SPANISH BORDER GUARDS STRENGTHENED IN CEUTA
It pains me to see young people dying at sea. It is wrong that in 2026 women with babies as young as two months old cross the sea to die.
– Karima Abenaz
There is food in Morocco, there is everything we need. If we do not have decent jobs, we must go on strike and demand our rights from the authorities. We should not die at sea; this is wrong.
– Karima Abenaz
According to Ceuta’s leader, Juan Jesus Vivas, the city’s morgue has received 88 bodies, some of whom had previously died during dangerous late-night crossings over the past two weeks. It is also reported that Moroccan authorities are pulling bodies from the sea, but there are no official figures yet.
Authorities have stepped up police and army patrols, and on Saturday a 500-meter-long floating barrier was installed off the Ceuta coast.
Twenty-two EU member states sent a joint letter calling for coordinated actions to guard external borders and other measures following the Ceuta incident. Italy suspended the Schengen visa-free regime with Spain for one month.
Spain continues to pursue a more open migration policy than most other EU countries, launching a program to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented migrants. Authorities argued that such a scheme does not encourage mass crossings to Ceuta, noting that those who entered the city illegally will not be able to move on to mainland Spain or other Schengen area countries.
The situation in Ceuta underscores the challenges of Europe’s migration policy and the need for stronger coordination and humanitarian support for the region.