Published: July 31, 2026
By: SUNTV Global Channel News Desk
Category: International
CEUTA, Spain — Spanish authorities have deported approximately 37,500 migrants to Morocco after an unprecedented surge saw an estimated 60,000 people cross into the North African enclave of Ceuta within days.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, more than half of those who entered the territory irregularly had been returned to Morocco by Friday afternoon, with repatriation operations expected to continue.
The mass influx overwhelmed security agencies and local authorities in Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city with a population of fewer than 83,000 residents.
Reports indicate that at least 34 migrants died while attempting the dangerous sea crossing from Morocco to Ceuta, highlighting the growing humanitarian risks associated with irregular migration.
The latest crisis followed an agreement between Spain and Morocco to accelerate the return of migrants entering Ceuta without authorisation.
In response, the Spanish government deployed additional military personnel to reinforce security in the enclave. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, accompanied by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, visited Ceuta to assess the situation.
Sánchez described the mass crossings as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity,” pledging that his government would take all necessary measures to safeguard the country’s borders.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles also warned migrants against attempting the crossing, urging them not to be misled by human trafficking networks and stressing that those who entered illegally would be returned in accordance with Spanish law.
Despite heightened security, groups of migrants continued attempting to reach Ceuta by swimming around the Tarajal breakwater near the Morocco-Spain border.
If confirmed, the estimated 60,000 crossings would represent the largest single surge of irregular migration ever recorded on European Union territory.
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