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Or sign-in if you have an account.People gather at Bab Sebta, on the Morocco-Spain border near Spain's enclave of Ceuta and the Moroccan town of Fnideq, on July 30, 2026. Photo by Abdelmajid BZIOUAT/AFP via Getty ImagesThe European Union on Friday scrambled to contain one of the largest migrant crises faced by the bloc in recent years, after tens of thousands of people poured into Spain’s enclave in north Africa in just days.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorSome 60,000 migrants have crossed into the territory from Morocco, the local regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told reporters. Many swam around a small border barrier that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea, with 34 people dying in the attempt.The sudden massive influx has sparked an international crisis for Spain’s government, drawing criticism from Germany, Italy and Finland and prompting France to tighten checks on its border with Spain.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againMadrid has sent troops, more police, including divers, drones and boats, to boost security in Ceuta. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his interior minister rushed to the enclave on Friday.On Friday, Spain’s interior minister said that 25,000 people who had crossed had voluntarily returned to Morocco.AFP reporters have seen hundreds of people — men, women and children — entering Ceuta, discarding flotation rings and clothes used in the risky passage. Hundreds of migrants converged on Morocco’s northern town of Fnideq on July 30 evening, following rumours that the border with Spain’s Ceuta had opened. Photo by Lucía DIAZ/AFP via Getty ImagesOn Friday, hundreds of migrants, mostly young men, were hanging around on the Morocco side of the border while others were seen turning back, saying “there are too many people here.”“It’s catastrophic,” said Mohammed, a local taxi driver and Ceuta resident. “Sure, we sympathize with them — they’re having a terrible time in their own country, and all that — but this isn’t the way to enter a place, nor is it a way to live.”It was not immediately clear what prompted this surge of migrants from Morocco. Some previous surges have occurred during tensions between Spain and Morocco.ESPAÑA: CEUTA PIDE CERRAR LA FRONTERA POR LA LLEGADA MASIVA DE MIGRANTES DE MARRUECOSMás de mil jóvenes marroquíes se congregaron en la frontera con Ceuta para intentar ingresar al enclave español, y cientos lograron superar las barreras de protección, que en ese momento no… pic.twitter.com/Mx0LuQwMW2— Clarín (@clarincom) July 30, 2026Huge crowds of illegal migrants are running amok in Ceuta, looting stores and breaking into the homes of local people.50 000 illegal migrants stormed the Spanish border in 1 day🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/9CQERCneO5— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 31, 2026Sanchez visited Algiers on July 20 — the first such visit by a Spanish head of government in four years — marking a thaw in relations with Morocco’s rival Algeria, but it was not clear if this visit was related to the influx.Sanchez, in Ceuta, blamed the sudden inflow on people-traffickers spreading rumours about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling this month that irregular migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately returned.“What has emerged from our talks with Moroccan authorities is that trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling,” he said. That interpretation “spread like wildfire in recent hours.”Lo que ha sucedido es un ataque a la integridad territorial de España y merece nuestra más rotunda y enérgica condena.Toda España está con la ciudadanía de Ceuta. El Gobierno de España está con la Ciudad Autónoma.Gracias por la cooperación que siempre hemos mantenido con el… pic.twitter.com/ZqKdUdu7Oy— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 31, 2026Scenes of the crowds of people surging into a member of the European Union, which normally does not enforce border controls between members, sparked diplomatic fallout.EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on social media called the scenes at Ceuta “unacceptable,” adding: “We cannot allow anyone to come to our (European) Union without abiding by our rules.”The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules.Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.I tasked two Commissioners…— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 31, 2026Italy on Thursday called for Spain to be suspended from Europe’s open-borders Schengen zone, prompting Spain to summon Italy’s ambassador and accuse Rome of using the crisis for political gain.Finland and Denmark on Friday backed Italy’s call, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded that Morocco “take back illegal migrants immediately.”France and Britain said they stood ready to help Spain with the sudden surge — but France also said it was tightening its border checks with Spain. People gather on a hilltop near Bab Sebta on the Morocco-Spain border, near Spain’s enclave of Ceuta and the Moroccan town of Fnideq on July 30, 2026. Photo by Abdelmajid BZIOUAT/AFP via Getty ImagesCeuta, a territory of 18.5 square kilometres (seven square miles), and similar enclave Melilla are Europe’s only two land borders with Africa.Ebullient migrants have been walking through the streets of Ceuta, thanking the Spanish police and calling out: “Bye bye Morocco, hello Spain.”Police and Civil Guards in Ceuta appeared to do little to intervene, although some officers attempted to direct the arrivals to the local migrant reception centre.On Friday, Moroccan security forces deployed tear gas and water canon to disperse a thousands-strong crowd of mainly young men gathered to try a border crossing, with at least 30 people arrested, an AFP journalist saw.Morocco’s authorities had not yet issued an official statement on the flow of migrants, but a Moroccan official source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the two countries had spoken about the matter.INSANE FOOTAGE: Thousands of migrants continue crossing from Morocco into Spain’s Ceuta enclave, as local officials reportedly urge Madrid to declare a national emergency. pic.twitter.com/dlbbKOjBV1— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 30, 2026🇪🇸🇲🇦 Riots erupted in Ceuta as migrants clashed with security forces thoughout the night.There were reports of damage to private property, vehicles being set on fire, businesses being looted, and homes being illegally occupied.Follow: @europa pic.twitter.com/iT8deLYaBf— Europa.com (@europa) July 31, 2026During a similar surge in 2021, more than 10,000 migrants reached Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco over the course of two days during a diplomatic spat between the two countries.The row erupted after Spain decided to host for medical treatment a leader of the Polisario Front, whose guerrillas fought a long war with Rabat over the independence of the Western Sahara region.The crisis ended in 2022 when Madrid reversed its long-standing policy of neutrality and backed Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara — a move that had caused a diplomatic rift between Madrid and Algiers. Sanchez’s July visit to Algeria seemed to indicate that rift was softening.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.