On July 30, 2026, officials in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, requested the Spanish government to declare a national emergency and deploy the military to secure its border with Morocco. This request followed reports of large crowds attempting to breach the border, with video footage showing individuals swimming across the breakwater and scaling fences. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that the armed forces would assist the Guardia Civil in maintaining civil security in Ceuta.
The Guardia Civil reported that crowds overwhelmed police, leading to thousands of migrants crossing into Spain. Rachid Sbihi, head of the Guardia Civil association in Ceuta, described the situation as chaotic, with estimates of thousands attempting to cross. Reports indicated that nine individuals died during the incident.
Juan Jesus Vivas, head of the Ceuta regional government, emphasized the critical nature of the migration crisis, stating that the local migrant reception center was overwhelmed with nearly a thousand people waiting outside. He noted that between 1,500 and 2,000 migrants had arrived in the past ten days, representing about 2% of the local population.
In response, Sanchez stated that the government was committed to addressing the situation and was coordinating with Moroccan authorities. The Interior Ministry announced plans for Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to visit Ceuta for an assessment. The surge in migrants coincided with a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding the treatment of migrants arriving by sea, as well as discussions surrounding a potential amnesty for certain migrants already in Spain.