![\"spanish-army-soldiers-stand-next-to-migrants-who-swam-from-morocco-to-the-spanish-enclave-of-ceuta-saturday-aug-1-2026-ap-photoantonio-sempere\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785655282_397_.jpeg\")
\n Spanish army soldiers stand next to migrants who swam from Morocco to Spanish enclave of Ceuta Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
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LAST UPDATE
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\n 15 hrs ago\n <\/p>\n
ALMOST ALL OF the tens of thousands of migrants who entered Spain\u2019s enclave of Ceuta in North Africa had left by Saturday, officials said, as some EU countries bolstered their border controls over the sudden influx.<\/p>\n
An estimated 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta over just a few days from neighbouring Morocco, the enclave\u2019s regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told reporters, but by today, Spain\u2019s interior minister said almost all had left.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation has been almost entirely reversed,\u201d Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters.<\/p>\n
Ireland, as part of its EU Presidency, will host a meeting to discuss the situation on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
In a post on X Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin said that the meeting will be led by Justice Minister Jim O\u2019Callaghan.<\/p>\n
Under the watch of Spanish soldiers and police on Saturday morning, the remaining young migrants continued crossing back over the border to Morocco, AFP journalists saw.<\/p>\n
Any who lingered too long on the coastal path were immediately ushered back out by the soldiers.<\/p>\n
\n Spanish army soldiers stand next to migrants who swam from Morocco to Spanish enclave of Ceuta Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n
To cross into Ceuta, many swam around a small border barrier that juts out into the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n
At least 67 people died in the attempt, said Grande-Marlaska, providing updated figures today.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope to go to Europe to work and earn a living. That\u2019s it,\u201d Souleye Bodian (19), a Senegalese migrant told AFP outside a migrant centre in Ceuta where dozens of other sub-Saharan African migrants waited for officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know that in Africa there isn\u2019t much opportunity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The sudden influx of migrants had sparked political panic in Europe.\n<\/p>\n
\u2018Adios\u2019<\/p>\n
Twenty-two EU countries issued a joint open letter today calling for a video meeting of the bloc\u2019s interior ministers \u201cas a matter of urgency\u201d to agree a speedy coordinated response, and to \u201cprevent further uncontrolled crossings\u201d.<\/p>\n
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then wrote on X: \u201cDefending the external borders of the Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Italy suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain allowing for visa-free movement between borders as of Saturday for one month.<\/p>\n
Several European countries also suggested Spain\u2019s membership in the Schengen free movement zone should be suspended, though the move is virtually impossible in practice.<\/p>\n
![\"migrants-return-to-morocco-from-the-spanish-enclave-of-ceuta-saturday-aug-1-2026-ap-photoantonio-sempere\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785655282_492_.jpeg\")
\n Migrants return to Morocco from Spanish enclave of Ceuta Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in a letter to the heads of the European Commission and European Council, blasted the \u201cselfish\u201d reaction by some EU countries. He backed a video meeting of interior ministers.<\/p>\n
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the bloc needed \u201ca lessons learned process to improve our European resilience,\u201d while pointing out that \u201cnot a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU\u201d during the influx.<\/p>\n
\nI held a conference call with Commissioners @magnusbrunner<\/a> and @dubravkasuica<\/a> for an update on the situation in Ceuta.<\/p>\n
The good news is that the vast majority of those who arrived illegally have returned to Morocco, due to the effective work of Spanish and Moroccan law\u2026<\/p>\n