A border crisis triggered by the mass crossing of up to 60,000 people from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city in North Africa, appeared to ease somewhat within a day.
Spain's Interior Ministry said on the 31st, the second day of the crisis, that at least 48,300 of the migrants who entered Ceuta without authorization had voluntarily returned to Morocco.
The Spanish government put the number of unauthorized entrants at about 50,000, while Ceuta authorities estimated that up to 60,000 had crossed over. Several thousand remain in Ceuta, and the Spanish government has deployed military forces to conduct identity verification and repatriation procedures.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Ceuta that day and condemned the situation, calling it "an assault and a violation of Spain's territorial integrity."
Sanchez said he would set up a temporary reception center to review migrants' documents and swiftly deport those without qualifications. He also plans to install buoys along the coast to mark the border in order to prevent maritime crossings.
The Spanish government has pursued a relatively lenient immigration policy within the European Union (EU), recently allowing about 1 million long-term undocumented residents to apply for legal residency status. However, the crisis has drawn criticism that the government failed to manage its borders.
Although most of the unauthorized entrants have returned to Morocco, local anxiety has not subsided.
With several thousand migrants remaining and wandering the streets of a city of about 84,000 people, some residents stayed inside their homes for fear of looting, and shops closed their doors. Ceuta authorities said they would not provide food or shelter to the remaining migrants, and some complained they had gone nearly two days without eating.
The situation calmed somewhat as residents returned to the streets from that evening. However, tensions continued, as some young Spaniards chased migrants while shouting "go back to Morocco," and police and soldiers pushed migrants toward the border.
Authorities said at least 60 people had died while attempting to enter Ceuta. Many are reported to have drowned while swimming across the breakwater between Morocco and Ceuta.
The possibility of additional deaths in Morocco was also raised. Local security forces used water cannons, batons and tear gas to hold back crowds heading toward Ceuta, and a burned-out vehicle was found near the site of the clashes.
Various interpretations have emerged over the background to this large-scale influx. Some experts raised the possibility that the Moroccan government had effectively turned a blind eye to the migrant movement or used it as a diplomatic pressure tool.
There is also analysis that Morocco's discontent over Spain's recent strengthening of ties with Algeria played a role. Morocco and Algeria have long been at odds over issues including Western Sahara.
Earlier, in 2021, when a diplomatic conflict arose between the two countries over the entry into Spain of a Western Sahara independence movement leader, between 5,000 and 8,000 Moroccans crossed into Ceuta. Morocco does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla.
Some also pointed out that a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling, which held that migrants arriving by sea should not be immediately deported, triggered the crisis.
Sanchez said illegal entry brokers had misinterpreted the court's decision. "This misreading appears to have spread rapidly within hours through human trafficking networks, triggering the large-scale influx," he said.
As concerns grew that Ceuta could become a new large-scale migration route to mainland Europe, EU countries also called on the Spanish government to restore border control.
Italy's Interior Ministry announced that it would "close its maritime and air borders with Spain." France also decided to strengthen its border checks with Spain.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed, "We cannot accept migrants coming from Ceuta," adding, "We cannot allow anyone to enter our union without following our rules."
Germany and Sweden also urged Spain to "get the situation under control." U.S. President Donald Trump likewise criticized the Spanish government, calling the situation "a disaster."
