Thousands of North African illegal aliens crossed from predominantly Muslim Morocco into Spain’s enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, overwhelming border police and prompting the city’s entire assembly to demand a national emergency declaration, a closed border and army deployment.
A Spanish Guardia Civil spokesperson said people were “massively entering from the sea” through the Tarajal breakwater. State broadcaster TVE reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people crossed in a matter of hours, although Reuters said it could not independently confirm that estimate.
Others broke through a fence gate, scaled fences or crossed on foot.
The illegal aliens were mainly Moroccan nationals, including young men, unaccompanied minors, women and families. Authorities also reported some Algerians who had been living in Morocco.
Morocco’s constitution declares Islam the state religion. More than 99% of the country’s population is Sunni Muslim, according to the U.S. State Department. Available reporting did not establish the religion of each person who crossed.
The surge followed more than 1,500 illegal entries by sea during the previous week, according to regional authorities. Images showed crowds swimming with flotation devices, moving around the breakwater and running onto beaches and city streets.
Viral post overstates confirmed facts
A viral X post from @InevitableWest shared FARO TV footage and declared, “BREAKING: An emergency has now been declared in the Spanish city of Ceuta after tens of thousands of illegal migrants break in from Morocco.”
🚨BREAKING: An emergency has now been declared in the Spanish city of Ceuta after tens of thousands of illegal migrants break in from Morocco
Pedro Sánchez is REFUSING to deploy the military to defend the borders. 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/OvtzvEZxBs
— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) July 30, 2026
“Pedro Sánchez is REFUSING to deploy the military to defend the borders,” the account added.
The footage matched scenes independently reported from Ceuta, but the caption overstated the verified facts. Available estimates placed the influx in the low thousands, not tens of thousands. Ceuta had requested a national emergency declaration, not secured one.
Madrid rejected the request, and Spain’s Defense Ministry said there were no immediate plans to deploy the army. No public statement from Sánchez established the blanket personal refusal claimed in the post as of the reporting cutoff.
Ceuta seeks emergency powers and army
Ceuta’s Assembly unanimously called on Madrid to declare the crisis a matter of national security, reinforce the Guardia Civil and National Police, deploy the army to secure the border and public safety, and close the Tarajal crossing. Every local party supported the demand, including Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party.
Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas described the city as being in an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency.” He said facilities for unaccompanied minors were operating at 2,400% of capacity and warned that roughly 1,000 people were outside the city’s temporary reception center.
Vivas said the recent arrivals amounted to nearly 2% of Ceuta’s population. He warned that the situation could approach the May 2021 crisis, when about 10,000 people entered the enclave within days.
Madrid rejects emergency request
Sánchez said his government was mobilizing necessary resources, coordinating with Moroccan and international authorities and preparing measures to restore normal conditions. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska planned to travel to Ceuta on Friday.
Madrid rejected the emergency request on the ground that Spain’s civil-protection framework does not classify illegal immigration flows as a qualifying national risk. Ceuta responded that it was seeking action under Spain’s National Security Law, not its civil-protection law.
Spain’s Interior Ministry blamed human-smuggling networks for exploiting a recent Supreme Court ruling that barred summary border rejection for people intercepted while swimming toward Ceuta or Melilla. The ministry said Spain would immediately deport those who entered illegally.
Spain and Morocco agreed to strengthen coordination and speed the return process for people who entered Ceuta illegally. Ceuta and Melilla form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.
Provided by Dallas Express
