Ceuta migrant surge continues; thousands already heading back to Morocco

Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta is still seeing large numbers of irregular migrants arriving from Morocco. Ceuta's president, Juan Jesus Vivas, said that in the last 24 hours, 60,000 people had arrived in a city whose normal population is 80,000. At least 34 migrants died while trying to cross the border, either by swimming or by forcing their way through the border fence.

At the same time, many of those who crossed have started going back. Spain's Interior Ministry reported on Friday that 25,000 migrants had left Ceuta for Morocco by 1 p.m., with departures running at about 150 people per minute.

The crisis has triggered a swift response across Europe. France announced stricter controls on its border with Spain, and Madrid has sent troops to reinforce security in Ceuta. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska visited the enclave on Friday. Sánchez blamed human trafficking gangs for the sudden influx, saying they had spread rumors about a recent Supreme Court ruling. Earlier this month, Spain's high court decided that a rule allowing the immediate return of people who cross the border illegally does not apply to those arriving by sea. According to Sánchez, the gangs interpreted the ruling in a way that suited them, and the message spread very quickly.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the situation in Ceuta unacceptable, stressing that nobody should be allowed into the European Union without respecting its rules. She called for an immediate end to dangerous border crossings, the dismantling of smuggling networks, and fast returns in line with EU regulations.

Italy on Thursday called for Spain's suspension from the Schengen area, and Finland and Denmark joined that call on Friday. Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said Spain had failed to protect the Schengen external border and that countries which do not fulfil their duties cannot remain members. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the EU should consider all options, including suspending Spain from Schengen, because uncontrolled migration threatens Europe and Denmark.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that he welcomed Spain's intention to prevent irregular migrants from reaching the European mainland and expected Morocco to immediately take back those migrants.

Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's two North African enclaves, form the only land border between Africa and the European Union. For many African migrants, they have long been a destination where people try to get in by crossing the fence or swimming along the coast.