Ceuta saw a dramatic reversal on Friday, July 31, as thousands of migrants who had entered the city during the mass crossing of July 30 began retreating to Morocco. Authorities estimated that up to 25,000 people had left by midday, driven by shuttered businesses and shortages of basic supplies. Many also faced hostility from some local residents. Families with children spent the night outdoors, including on hillsides and in parks, or on the streets after shops and restaurants denied them service. Reports of attacks with stones and firearms circulated, while videos showed chaotic scenes in several neighborhoods. Reuters later described the arrival of Fatna, who was heavily pregnant and travelling with her disabled son, as authorities struggled to identify and assist people with urgent needs.
By morning, Ceuta was effectively locked down. Markets and boutiques had shut, as had bars and even gas stations, leaving newcomers with almost no way to find food or water. Cigarettes were also unavailable. The Spanish army and Guardia Civil were deployed to manage the situation, while Moroccan authorities intervened to discourage further crossings and help returns. A steady flow of people headed back across the border, many visibly exhausted and hungry, carrying only a few belongings. Some said they had been forced to sleep in the hills after residents chased them away from urban areas with stones and, in some cases, guns. The immediate exodus did not end the emergency: thousands, including unaccompanied minors, remained in Ceuta for weeks, putting continued pressure on accommodation and child-protection services.
The movement echoed the May 2021 crisis, when around 10,000 to 12,000 people entered Ceuta, many through the Tarajal area, and thousands returned within hours. The July 2026 crossing was substantially larger, but estimates of its scale varied. Reports put arrivals at about 50,000, 60,000, more than 70,000 or as many as 80,000. Those totals reflect different estimates and revisions; they are not directly comparable with routine Interior Ministry tallies of irregular land entries. The ministry’s published balance recorded 5,013 land entries into Ceuta by August 15, compared with 1,722 by the same date in 2025. A later cumulative figure for October 15 listed 4,076. The episode also revived questions about how exceptional movements are recorded: Spanish Interior Ministry statistics treated the 2021 arrivals differently from the regular series.
Police sources initially reported at least 41 deaths among people attempting to reach Ceuta, mainly during dangerous sea crossings. Later coverage cited a Spanish government toll of 141, while the Moroccan human-rights organization AMDH attributed nearly 130 deaths to the crossing. The figures came from different authorities and were reported at different times. The fatalities occurred as people tried to swim around border barriers and reach the enclave. The humanitarian emergency was compounded by a lack of shelter and basic necessities, including food, as well as the threat of violence from locals and other migrants.
Tensions remained high in the city center. Groups waving Spanish flags gathered ahead of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s visit, with some calling for his resignation. At times, the gatherings led to confrontations as demonstrators chased young migrants through the streets. Business owners were frustrated, caught between the risk of property damage and the inability to operate normally. One bar owner, speaking by phone, said he had kept his doors closed to avoid being overwhelmed by sudden crowds, despite concerns about food spoilage.
As the day progressed, the border began to stabilize. Moroccan boats arrived to collect swimmers attempting to return, while authorities used tear gas and water cannons to clear hillsides. On the Spanish side, military vehicles and Guardia Civil patrols maintained order, and the border was cleared ahead of the prime minister’s arrival. Earlier in the morning, the situation had appeared even more volatile, with black smoke rising from Findeq (Castillejos) and reports of vehicles set ablaze on the Moroccan side. Abandoned items littered Ceuta, including clothing and makeshift flotation devices, alongside plastic bottles. Beaches and streets had first become temporary campsites, then scenes of disorder and debris.
Friday’s events exposed the challenges at Spain’s borders, where sudden surges in migration can quickly overwhelm local infrastructure and spark social tensions. The closure of the city’s historic Royal Wall, a major tourist landmark, showed the scale of the disruption. Spain’s response also depended on cooperation with Morocco to manage returns and limit further crossings. Sánchez later said Spain needed Morocco’s cooperation to manage migration. The crisis had consequences beyond Ceuta: Spain and Italy subsequently lifted controls on each other’s citizens after a three-month standoff associated with the migration surge. Similar crises have affected other Spanish regions. In a recent property fraud scandal in Marbella and Málaga, authorities froze real estate transfers to protect residents. The situation is detailed in this report on registry blocks and home loss. Both cases reflect the pressures facing communities and the tension between security and local stability.
Ceuta’s position as a Spanish enclave on the African continent has long made it a focal point for migration from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. Its population and infrastructure are not designed to absorb sudden influxes of tens of thousands of people. The July crossing, far larger than the 2021 surge, left a lasting humanitarian and administrative burden even after most arrivals returned to Morocco. Spanish and Moroccan authorities have repeatedly coordinated to manage such episodes, but social and political challenges persist at Europe’s southern frontier.
