Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Thousands of Migrants Flood Ceuta, Police Overwhelmed
A big group of people from Morocco tried to get into the Spanish town of Ceuta by jumping over fences and swimming across the sea.
They used inner tubes and other floats to help them.
The police were surprised and had a hard time keeping up.
The leader of Ceuta asked the Spanish government to declare an emergency and even asked the army to help.
The Spanish court said that people who are caught at sea can’t be sent back right away, and some say this rule is making more people try to cross.
The Spanish Interior Ministry is working with Morocco to stop the surge, blaming smugglers for encouraging the crossings.
Thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco by foot and sea, overwhelming local police.
Estimates range from 2,000 to 3,000 youths, with some scaling fences and others swimming with inner tubes.
Ceuta’s leader urged Madrid to declare a state of emergency and requested army deployment.
Spain’s Supreme Court ruling prevents summary return of intercepted migrants, a factor cited by smugglers.
The Interior Ministry says it is working with Morocco to curb the surge, blaming people‑smuggling networks.
- Who
- Migrants, Ceuta officials, Spanish authorities
- What
- Mass crossing of migrants into Ceuta
- When
- Thursday, July 30, 2024
- Where
- Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave on the border with Morocco
- Why
- Migrants seeking to reach Europe, aided by people‑smuggling networks exploiting a Supreme Court ruling
- Location
- Ceuta, Spain
- Number of migrants
- 2,000–3,000
- Date
- July 30, 2024
- Border type
- Sea and fence
- Authorities involved
- Guardia Civil, Interior Ministry, Supreme Court
Sources
Thousands of migrants cross into Spain’s Ceuta on foot, EFE reports
Migrants swarm border into Spain’s Ceuta, overwhelming police, Guardia Civil says
Migrants cross border into Spain’s Ceuta, overwhelming police, Guardia Civil says
