Migration crisis hits Spain as thousands enter from Morocco

Thousands of migrants entering Spain from neighboring Morocco have sent the autonomous city of Ceuta into chaos since Wednesday, prompting fresh backlash against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s migration policies. Local authorities alerted on Wednesday that a growing number of migrants were crossing into Ceuta via the sea. Ceuta’s President Juan Jesús Vivas told reporters the situation was an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency” and requested action from the government. Thursday saw a further escalation, as thousands more entered Ceuta by both land and sea, overwhelming arrival centers. Videos online showed people using wetsuits and flotation devices to swim onto land. Sánchez took to X on Thursday to announce he was working with Moroccan authorities to restore normality as soon as possible and promised an immediate response. The chaos at the border comes just weeks after a Spanish Supreme Court decision preventing arrivals by sea from being directly deported. Sánchez’s political opponents took to social media to attack him, including far-right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal, who called the situation an “invasion,” and center-right People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The news also provoked a response from anti-immigration voices across Europe, including co-chair of the far-right Alternative for Germany party Alice Weidel and center-right European People’s Party President Manfred Weber, who wrote: “This proves one thing: the Migration Pact and return regulation must be enforced today, not tomorrow. And Frontex reinforced.” Tensions have been high in Spain since the Sánchez government launched a scheme allowing unauthorized migrants to apply for legal status and stay in the country. More than one million people applied. This is the most significant border crisis to hit Ceuta since 2021, when at least 8,000 people entered the territory through Morocco. Ceuta and Melilla — another Spanish autonomous city — are the only EU territories to share land borders with Africa.