Spain and Morocco have reinforced security around the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after an unprecedented surge saw nearly 49,000 migrants cross by land and sea in a single day, leaving at least 19 people dead, according to a report.
The rush into the Spanish territory prompted Madrid to deploy additional military support and border security personnel, while Moroccan authorities used water cannons to push back crowds attempting to enter Ceuta. Burnt-out vehicles and signs of violent clashes were visible near the enclave's border gates, Reuters reported.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska as authorities moved to contain what Spain described as its biggest migration crisis since at least 2021.
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Reuters reported that Spain's Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres said the sudden influx may have been influenced by a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that restricts the immediate return of some migrants intercepted while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla.
"The government reacted immediately," Torres told a local radio station, adding that Spain would continue returning migrants while respecting judicial rulings and migrants' rights.
Spanish authorities said they would seek to deport those who entered illegally as quickly as possible under existing legal provisions.
On the Moroccan side, security forces stepped up deployment around the border town of Fnideq, preventing many fresh attempts to cross. Even so, thousands of migrants gathered along the coastline, with some looking for routes around the fence or preparing to swim into the enclave.
Local migrant rights groups warned that Ceuta lacks adequate resources to handle such a large influx.
"Migratory policies require a deep revision that addresses the reality of the south border and guarantees respect for the dignity and human rights of migrants and refugees," several organisations said in a joint statement.
The crisis has reignited Europe's migration debate.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy was prepared to consider extraordinary measures, including suspending the Schengen border-free arrangement with Spain if necessary.
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Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticised Spain's immigration policies, arguing that Madrid's recent citizenship drive for hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants risked encouraging human trafficking.
Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares rejected the criticism, calling Tajani's remarks inappropriate and saying Spain expected solidarity and not partisan demagoguery from its European partners. He added that Madrid would summon the Italian ambassador in protest.
Ceuta and nearby Melilla are Spain's two autonomous enclaves in North Africa and represent the European Union's only land borders with the African continent. Both have long served as flashpoints for migrants attempting to reach Europe, but the scale of Thursday's crossings is without recent precedent, according to Spanish authorities.
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