The Spanish enclave of Ceuta is calling for a national state of emergency to be declared and for the military to be deployed after tens of thousands of illegal migrants crossed the border from Morocco over recent days.
Local reports describe large groups of young men storming the border fence, climbing over it or swimming around the barriers. The police and border guards are under severe strain, and large numbers of migrants are already inside the city.
Many Spaniards in Ceuta do not accept being invaded:
Chaotic conditions
Local residents report chaos, overstretched reception centres and widespread insecurity among the population.
Despite the dramatic situation, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez refuses to deploy the military to defend the border. The government maintains that the matter should be handled as a “humanitarian” issue and that the military should not be used against civilian migrants.
This has been strongly criticised by the conservative opposition, represented by Vox and the People’s Party (PP), who argue that Sánchez has failed to uphold Spain’s sovereignty and national security.
Sánchez es un traidor, un corrupto y un indecente. Actúa como el enemigo del pueblo español. La emergencia nacional solo puede resolverse echándole y sentándole en el banquillo.#Ceuta pic.twitter.com/yLicTcD6hU
— Santiago Abascal 🇪🇸 (@Santi_ABASCAL) July 30, 2026
Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish enclaves on the northern coast of Africa. They have long been pressure points for illegal African migration into Europe. Morocco has previously used migration flows as a political instrument of pressure against Spain and the rest of Europe.
The massive influx has been linked to the Sánchez government’s highly liberal immigration policy and its mass amnesty for illegal migrants.
🚨BREAKING: Residents of Ceuta are claiming that illegal migrants have already begun breaking into their properties
Sánchez is GUILTY of TREASON. 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/EQ3Y5JrENi
— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) July 30, 2026
Morocco today granted amnesty to 1,788 convicted criminals.
Spanias masseamnesti nærmer seg én million – politiet spår fem millioner «lovlige» innen 2030