CEUTA, Spain: Hundreds of migrants have entered the Spanish north African exclave of Ceuta by sea in recent days, officials said Thursday, with local television images showing them swimming around the frontier and running into the town. Migration from Morocco into Spain’s two north African territories, Ceuta and Melilla, has long been a politically sensitive issue between the two countries. “We are in a situation of total humanitarian and social emergency,” said the president of the territory, Juan Jesus Vivas, in comments broadcast on Thursday by Spanish television.

While good weather usually brings a surge in migrant crossings by sea in the summer, Ceuta authorities said the current number of swimmers is unusual. #EuropeNews

Videos of migrants pouring into Spain’s Ceuta territory have gone viral on X, prompting criticism from Elon Musk and European politicians critical of migration.