At least 24 dead after mass crossing into Spain’s Ceuta enclave
At least 24 people died as more than 40,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, prompting a humanitarian and political crisis.
In short
- At least 24 people died as more than 40,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, prompting a humanitarian and political crisis.
At least 24 people have died while trying to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco after more than 40,000 people crossed into the territory within hours, according to a report published on July 31, 2026.
Some victims drowned while attempting to swim around the border and others died in a crush, the report said. The sudden influx overwhelmed the enclave, a Spanish territory on the North African coast with a population of about 85,000.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to Ceuta with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and visited the Tarajal border crossing as authorities responded to the emergency. Sánchez blamed trafficking networks for misleading people about their prospects of remaining in Spain.
Initial reports placed the death toll at 19, but a later account raised it to at least 24. The rapidly changing figures underline the developing nature of the incident.
The mass crossing has also triggered criticism from other European Union governments and renewed scrutiny of migration controls along the Spain-Morocco border.
