A Spanish soldier escorts a group of migrants on their way back towards the Moroccan border, following their illegal crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on August 1, 2026.
The death toll from the recent surge in migrant crossings from Morocco to Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has risen to 67, Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said on Saturday, up from the 18 fatalities reported on Friday.
Most of the migrants had returned to Morocco by Saturday after tens of thousands crossed into Ceuta, many swimming around the small border barrier extending into the Mediterranean Sea.
According to police, more than 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave overnight on Thursday. Many made the dangerous journey by swimming around the frontier fence separating Morocco from Ceuta.
Hundreds of men, women and children were seen reaching the enclave after crossing the sea, abandoning flotation devices and clothing used during the hazardous trip.
The unprecedented influx has sparked a diplomatic crisis for Spain, drawing criticism from several European countries. Italy has called for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen free-travel zone, prompting Madrid to summon the Italian ambassador and accuse Rome of exploiting the situation for political purposes.
Finland also backed Italy’s proposal, while France announced tighter security measures along its border with Spain. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he had instructed authorities to immediately strengthen border checks following the migrant surge.
In response to the crisis, the Spanish government deployed additional troops, police officers, divers, drones and patrol boats to reinforce security in Ceuta.
The latest incident has drawn comparisons to 2021, when thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta after Morocco relaxed border controls during a diplomatic dispute with Spain.
The migrant crisis has also attracted international attention, with two senior officials in U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House citing footage from Ceuta on Thursday to reinforce their administration’s anti-immigration stance.
