Around 60,000 people were estimated to have crossed into Ceuta in the past few days, the leader of the Spanish enclave in North Africa, Juan Jesus Vivas, told reporters on Friday, more than half of Ceuta's population'Violation' of Spain's territorial sovereignty: PMThe mass crossings of tens of thousands of people from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta was a "violation of Spain's territorial sovereignty," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters on Friday.Migrants gather as they wait for a chance to cross to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the Moroccan side of the border in Fnideq, Morocco, July 31, 2026. (Reuters)Germany welcomes Spain's intention not to allow illegal migrants inGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday he welcomed Spain's intention not to allow illegal migrants onto the European mainland.The German government was in contact with the Spanish one on the matter, he said.France ready to help out SpainFrance is in touch with Spanish and Moroccan authorities over the huge numbers of migrants who crossed over from Morocco into Ceuta, French President Emmanuel Macron's entourage said on Friday.France stands ready to help out Spain if necessary, including via the European border and cost guards agency Frontex, they said, adding Macron asked Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to beef up checks at the borders with Spain.Spain, Morocco try to halt deadly rush on Spanish enclaveA migrant holds an inflatable ring while in the water, amid mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory in Ceuta, Spain, July 31, 2026. (Reuters)Spain and Morocco reinforced the border fence of a Spanish enclave on Friday and appeared to have largely halted mass crossings after tens of thousands of people arrived by sea and land in a day, with at least 19 dead bodies found in the water.The Spanish Department of National Security said on its website that more than 49,000 people were estimated to have crossed illegally in 24 hours, citing the Interior Ministry. The statement was later deleted from the website with no immediate explanation.The mass crossing into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish-held spit jutting into the Mediterranean from Morocco, caused shock and division in Europe. France said it was increasing checks on its border with Spain, and Italy threatened to suspend Spain from the EU's internal open border scheme.Water cannon trucks deployed at the gateAt the gates into Ceuta, Moroccan authorities had deployed water cannon trucks and pushed people back. The charred remains of a bus and seven cars could be seen nearby from clashes with the crowds.Spanish authorities said they would try to expel those who had entered illegally as quickly as possible, despite a court ruling that put some restrictions on special "border rejection" rules that allow immediate expulsions from the enclave. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was due to visit Ceuta on Friday with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.Unprecedented migrant surgeCeuta and Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city in northern Morocco, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa. The two cities, each home to around 85,000 people, both periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe, but the scale of Thursday's rush had little precedent.Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres said on Friday that among factors contributing to the surge may have been a ruling by Spain's Supreme Court earlier this month that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned under special rules.How it startedTorres told a local radio station the Spanish government had reacted immediately to the surge and would proceed to eventually return the migrants, while respecting court rulings and migrants' rights.Migrants from Morocco gather by the border fence as they cross the Spanish border, swimming through the sea, as seen from Ceuta, Spain, July 31, 2026 (Reuters)On the Moroccan side of the border, thousands of migrants streamed into the town of Fnideq overnight despite a reinforced deployment of security that foiled most attempts to cross. Although the crossing appeared blocked, groups moved along the coast seeking routes around the fence. Some prepared to swim."I was late," said Brahim, 32, who gave only one name. He said he had arrived from Tangier hoping to cross through the gate but found it effectively shut. Among those hoping to cross were women and children, from both Morocco and sub-Saharan African countries further south.Helpless policeIn a post on X, Spain's Guardia Civil police association AUGC said there had been too few police in place to monitor the fence during the surge on Thursday, making them unable to stop it.Migration is a sensitive issue across Europe, where right-wing parties have surged in the decade since a 2015 crisis when more than a million people crossed the continent mainly on foot and sought asylum, most fleeing war in Syria.
