Why did nearly 60,000 migrants suddenly storm the border into Spain?

Up to 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in roughly 24 hours, overwhelming border forces and increasing the territory’s population by as much as 70%.

The unprecedented influx has triggered a political crisis, raised questions over the true nature of the incident, and exposed deep divisions in the West.

What happened at the border?

Tens of thousands of migrants stormed a weak point in the town of Ceuta, on the Spanish border with Morocco on Thursday. Ceuta’s regional president, Juan Jesus Vivas, said on Friday that around 60,000 people had entered the city since the border crisis erupted the previous day. The magnitude is such that it represents the single greatest human traffic invasion in the EU’s history.

Even more conservative estimates from Spanish media and security sources ranging from 30,000 to 49,000 would still mean that Ceuta’s regular population of some 84,000 had increased overnight by some 50%.

At least 41 migrants reportedly died. Many drowned while attempting to swim around the border barriers, while others were allegedly killed in a stampede near the Tarajal breakwater.

Widely circulated footage showed predominantly young adult men swimming around the breakwater, climbing border structures, and pouring through crossing points as Spanish officers struggled to contain them. Some later marched through Ceuta chanting: “Bye bye Morocco, hello Spain.”

Local police said they had been “completely overwhelmed” by the influx, while the regional government warned that reception facilities, hospitals, and other public services were nearing collapse.

Madrid initially rejected Ceuta’s request to declare a national emergency but later deployed soldiers, special police, and additional Civil Guard units.

Morocco eventually reinforced its side of the border, deployed water cannons and tear gas, fired warning shots, and moved detained migrants away from the frontier. By Friday afternoon, the massive flow appeared to have largely stopped, although some people continued trying to swim into Spanish territory.

Hundreds of migrants also began walking back toward Morocco through the same breakwater route they had used to enter Spain.

Why Ceuta?

Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories on Morocco’s northern coast, alongside the enclave of Melilla. Together, they form the EU’s only land borders with Africa. Morocco claims both cities as part of its territory, viewing continued Spanish control as a legacy of European colonialism, while Madrid has considered them integral parts of Spain since 1580.

The enclaves have repeatedly become flashpoints in diplomatic rows between the two countries. Morocco is believed to have intentionally eased border controls during a dispute in 2021 to spark a migrant influx to pressure Madrid. However, that incident involved only about 10,000 migrants – several times less than the latest crisis.

What triggered the crisis?

It is currently unclear what exactly sparked Thursday’s incident but several possibilities have been raised. Spanish officials blame traffickers exploiting a recent court ruling, others suspect that Morocco deliberately eased border controls to pressure Madrid.

Some have also linked the timing to Spain’s rapprochement with Algeria, Morocco’s regional rival, and to the Sanchez government’s worsening relations with Washington.

How did the Spanish court ruling increase the risk of mass migrant invasion?

The Supreme Court ruling in July asserted that immediate deportation can only apply to migrants crossing land barriers. Those intercepted at sea, on the other hand, must instead go through standard deportation procedures, including legal assistance and the chance to claim asylum.

The Spanish government has claimed that this ruling was misrepresented by traffickers as making sea crossings harder to reverse. The idea had allegedly spread “like wildfire” through human-smuggling networks and helped trigger the mass rush, Madrid suggested.

Critics have also linked the influx to Spain’s recent regularization of around 500,000 undocumented migrants, arguing that the measure encouraged further illegal entry.

Is Morocco applying pressure on Madrid?

The scale of the influx and the apparent lack of resistance on the Moroccan side have prompted accusations that Rabat deliberately loosened border controls to pressure Madrid, drawing parallels with the 2021 incident.