Ceuta: Most who breached border have left, Spain says

Nearly all of the more than 50,000 migrants who breached the border this week have returned to Morocco, according to Spanish officials. At least 72 people died in the border rush. DW has more.

https://p.dw.com/p/5I5Cr Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Ceuta returning to normal but work remains, local official says Madrid says 72 people died in the border rush Right-wing leaders call for migrant expulsions, security reinforcement Italy's one-month suspension of the free-movement Schengen deal takes effect Spain's PM Sanchez calls for an urgent teleconference of EU interior ministers DW correspondent says thousands of migrants still in Ceuta Germany's Merz calls on Morocco to take back the irregular migrants 'without delay' Follow this blog for continuing coverage and updates on the developing situation in Ceuta, Spain's North African territory.

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08/02/2026 August 2, 2026 Most migrants return but Ceuta still on edge as death toll climbs to 72 Karl Sexton | Jenipher Camino Gonzalez Editor Relative calm had returned to Ceuta on Sunday, but the city remained on edge following the deadly border rush.

Local officials have warned that the city's recovery has just begun, while right-wing politicians are blaming the Socialist government in Madrid for chaotic scenes that unfolded this week in the Spanish North African exclave.

Spanish Civil Guard ships were searching the waters around the city on Sunday for more bodies after between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants breached the border with Morocco.

Nearly all of them had walked back to the Moroccan side of the border by Sunday, according to officials in Ceuta, normally home to around 84,000 people.

At least 72 people died during the crush on Thursday and Friday, the Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, said.

Some drowned, while others were killed in a stampede at a breakwater barrier and a border fence.

Perez added that medical services have treated more than 1,000 people.

He said while the situation in the exclave had improved significantly, work remained to be done for the city to return to normal.

On Saturday, authorities installed a 500-meter (1,600-foot) floating barrier in the waters off Ceuta to boost border security, as well as reinforcing police and army patrols.

08/02/2026 August 2, 2026 WATCH: Spain installs floating barrier to stop Ceuta sea crossings https://p.dw.com/p/5I9bJ Skip next section What to know if you're joining us on August 2 Published 08/02/2026 Published August 2, 2026 last updated 08/02/2026 last updated August 2, 2026 What to know if you're joining us on August 2 Roshni Majumdar Editor Spain said on Saturday migrant crossings into its North African territory of Ceuta had stopped overnight after authorities began installing a 500-meter floating barrier at the border with Morocco. More than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea on Thursday in an unprecedented surge, Spain said more than 48,000 were returned to Morocco within 48 hours. The death toll from the mass crossing rose to at least 67, with migrants dying from drowning or being crushed while attempting to scale border barriers. Spanish police step up pressure on migrants to leave Ceuta To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised Italy's decision to suspend Schengen travel with Spain for one month.

Spain has reinforced police and military deployments in Ceuta. Authorities stressed that migrants entering the territory irregularly cannot travel onward to mainland Spain or elsewhere in the Schengen area.

08/01/2026 August 1, 2026 Emergency meeting of European interior ministers to take place Tuesday An emergency video meeting of European Union interior ministers is to be held on Tuesday, according to Ireland's prime minister, Micheal Martin.

"As Presidency holders, Ireland will convene a meeting on Tuesday of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council... to discuss developments in Ceuta," the Irish leader wrote on Saturday.

The Republic of Ireland currently holds the EU's rotating presidency and Irish Justice, ​Home ⁠Affairs and Migration Minister ⁠Jim O'Callaghan has been tapped by Martin to lead the call.

08/01/2026 August 1, 2026 EU's von der Leyen says lessons must be learned to improve resilience In a social media post on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had "offered support to Spain from the first moment" and that most of those who stormed the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta this week had been returned to Morocco.

"Not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of Europe," she said.

The head of the EU's executive said, however, that the bloc's "strong system" of border protections "needs to be further strengthened."

While emphasizing coordination, she said lessons must be learned "to improve our European resilience." Calling for vigilance and coordination, von der Leyen ended her statement by saying, "Fighting illegal migration requires solidarity and a united European response."

08/01/2026 August 1, 2026 France says no need for Spain to leave Schengen French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez on Saturday was cited by news agency AFP as saying that despite France's own increased security along its shared border with Spain, "We are not asking for Spain's suspension from Schengen."

Addressing calls by European politicians for Spain to be temporarily booted from the freedom of travel agreement, Nunez said: "Spain does not need to leave the Schengen zone. It's absolutely not on the table. We have great cooperation with Spain."

Italy announced a one-month suspension of visa-free movement with Spain on Friday after tens of thousands of migrants storm...

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