At least 72 dead amid mass migrant rush to storm Spanish enclave of Ceuta sparking border crisis

At slightest 72 migrants are dormant aft a chaotic unreserved to tempest the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, turning 1 of Europe's latest borderline crises into a humanitarian catastrophe that is reigniting statement implicit migration crossed the continent.

Spanish authorities continued searching the waters disconnected Ceuta implicit the play for further victims aft an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants — astir of them young men — poured into the tiny Spanish territory successful North Africa. Officials said galore of the victims drowned portion attempting the crossing, portion others were killed successful a stampede adjacent a breakwater barrier.

The wide crossing unfolded implicit respective days, temporarily expanding Ceuta's colonisation of astir 84,000 by much than half. By Sunday, galore migrants had returned to neighboring Morocco, portion others remained successful the metropolis oregon tried to debar authorities.

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Migrants who crossed into Spain instrumentality to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The deaths person intensified the governmental combat implicit migration successful Spain and crossed Europe. Far-right leaders called for tighter borderline information and the removal of migrants who remained successful the enclave.

Santiago Abascal, person of Spain's nationalist Vox party, visited Ceuta connected Sunday and blasted the country's government, calling the migrant influx "an invasion" and accusing officials of failing to support Spain's borders.

Guardia Civil officers retrieve the assemblage of a migrant from the h2o successful the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

Tensions were besides connected show Saturday erstwhile European Parliament subordinate Alvise Pérez faced aggravated counterprotesters during a rally successful Ceuta. Pérez yet took structure wrong a adjacent barroom earlier constabulary escorted him away.

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Many section residents expressed sorrow implicit the nonaccomplishment of life, adjacent arsenic the governmental statement intensified.

"It pains maine profoundly that young radical are dying astatine sea. It's not close that, successful the twelvemonth 2026, women with children arsenic young arsenic 2 months aged should beryllium crossing the oversea lone to die," Karima Abenaz, a French nationalist successful Ceuta with household successful Morocco, told Reuters.

"In Morocco, there's food, there's everything we need," she said. "If we don't person a decent job, we should spell connected onslaught and request our rights from the government. We shouldn't beryllium dying astatine sea. It's not right."

Escorted by the Spanish army, migrants who crossed into Spain instrumentality to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta connected Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

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Other section residents said the migrants themselves should not beryllium blamed.

Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, a waiter successful Ceuta, told The Associated Press that work lies with the authorities.

"If you unfastened the border, of people everyone comes in, but the young men aren't to blame. The authorities are responsible," helium said.

Others said the events had tested Ceuta's estimation arsenic a metropolis wherever Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities person agelong lived broadside by side. Some besides voiced concerns astir information and questioned whether different wide crossing could hap again.

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The U.S. State Department connected Saturday raised its Travel Advisory for Ceuta to Level 3: Reconsider Travel successful effect to the surge, informing that the "massive and uncontrolled accomplishment of migrants from Morocco to Ceuta whitethorn pb to unpredictable and unsafe information situations."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.