Spain sends military to Ceuta as border crossing turns deadly

Spain will deploy its military to the North African enclave of Ceuta to restore order after thousands of people crossed from Morocco, leaving at least nine dead, the government announced on Thursday.

The move comes after local authorities in Ceuta requested reinforcements from Madrid to manage a border crisis that escalated on Thursday with large crowds breaching the border fence.

Spain's government said the Armed Forces would assist the Civil Guard in “maintaining security in the city of Ceuta”. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska are scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday.

Rachid Sbihi, who heads the association representing Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, described the situation as “absolute chaos”. He told The Associated Press that thousands of migrants were crossing and the border had “totally collapsed”.

Achraf Maimouni, of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, said the Tarajal border point was opened under unusual circumstances, allowing people to cross.

Video footage showed crowds of mostly young Moroccan men, along with some families with women and children, walking along the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. Some onlookers shouted “Viva Espana” to a freelance photographer.

The cause of the sudden surge remains unclear. Spain’s government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died on Thursday, without providing details. Bodies were seen floating in the water. Local authorities say dozens have died this year attempting to reach the enclave.

The escalation follows a rise in crossings on Wednesday, mainly by people swimming to Ceuta. Morocco’s Interior Ministry has not publicly commented on the incident.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said Morocco was cooperating closely and that Moroccan police were stopping numerous people trying to cross. Both countries agreed to work together for the return of all those who entered Ceuta illegally.

The ministry said it would ensure the safety of citizens and the integrity of the border but ruled out declaring a national emergency over migration concerns, as local authorities had requested.

Italy also reacted to the crisis. Premier Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border Schengen agreement with Spain, citing a need to defend Italy’s borders, even though Italy does not share a border with Spain.

Ceuta authorities have previously linked the migration surge to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that barred authorities from immediately returning migrants who arrive by sea without due process. The ruling does not apply to land arrivals.

Some activists in Morocco expressed doubt about that connection, arguing that most migrants would not be aware of legal rulings.

Ceuta and the nearby enclave of Melilla are the only European Union land borders in Africa, making them a regular flashpoint for migration. Spain serves as a major entry point into Europe for people fleeing poverty, conflict, or violence.

To reach Ceuta, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, about five kilometres away, or try to climb the fortified border fence.