Europe faces border crisis as 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours

Europe faces a fresh border crisis after around 60,000 migrants from Morocco crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.

At least 43 people died as border security struggled to deal with the sudden influx, with extraordinary footage capturing the huge crowds making their way into Spain’s North African territory.

Some drowned in the crossing while others were killed in a stampede at the Tarajal beach fence near a border checkpoint with Morocco.

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez called the incident an “attack on Spain’s territorial integrity” and vowed to “use all the resources of the state to guarantee security and coexistence”.

Ceuta and the larger Spanish territory of Melilla that is some 250 miles east of it, are located on the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa. Both hold the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

The prime minister, Andy Burnham, called the scenes a “cause for concern” as the shadow home secretary Chris Philp warned Spain’s border crisis could “rapidly become our border crisis”.

The incident has also sparked a diplomatic row across Europe with Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni calling for Spain’s suspension from the Schengen zone.

Thousands of people were seen attempting to breach the border by land and sea by swimming around coastal barriers and forcing their way through land-border infrastructure. It is one of the most significant breaches of the territory’s border in years.

Rachid Sbihi, head of the association representing Guardia Civil officers in Ceuta, described the scenes as “absolute chaos” and said the border had “totally collapsed”. He said the event was a “humanitarian crisis”.

Spain has deployed police and military personnel to deal with the crisis and promised that those involved will be sent back to Morocco.

On Friday, authorities confirmed that half of the migrants had already returned, many of them voluntarily.

Moroccan forces used water cannons, batons and tear gas at the Ceuta gates to prevent more crowds storming the autonomous Spanish territory.

Mr Sanchez went on to blame gangs for the crisis, saying that they “deceive so many young people, and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths, whether in the ocean or, as in this case, at Spain’s border in the autonomous city of Ceuta.”

Right-wing leaders in Europe were quick to condemn the incident, urging tighter controls of EU borders.

Ms Meloni said that the “striking” images confirmed that “uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders”.

“Italy will not stand by and watch,” she wrote. “We are convening the relevant bodies, and following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain.

“On illegal immigration, we will not yield an inch: defending the borders, stopping human traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations will continue to be the line of this government.”

France’s far-right politician Marine Le Pen accused the Spanish government of “encouraging” the crisis.

“Faced with the massive and coordinated influx of migrants into Spain, encouraged by the Spanish government, France must without delay strengthen controls at its borders,” she wrote in a post on X.

“And in 2027, we will put an end to this madness by reserving Schengen free movement for EU nationals.”

President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen called for the swift return of migrants to Morocco, while German chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “The protection of the EU’s external borders is crucial for combating illegal migration.

“I support Spain’s intention not to allow illegal migrants onto the European continent. The EU’s Return Directive must now be implemented without delay.”

The surge is reportedly linked to a recent ruling by Spain’s supreme court, which concluded that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be deported or returned back under new rules. The decision does not apply to crossings by land.

Mr Sanchez said that the ruling had been misinterpreted.

“It appears that this interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organisations, triggering the kind of mass surge we witnessed yesterday,” he said.

Juan Jesus Vivas, mayor-president of Ceuta, called on the government to declare a national emergency. The interior ministry rejected the calls on the grounds that migration did not constitute a national emergency, but vowed to provide additional resources.

Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo described the situation as a “national security crisis” and urged the government to take stronger action.