Thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, leading local authorities to urge the central government to declare a national emergency and deploy the military to secure the border.
The Spanish Interior Ministry pledged to safeguard citizens and border integrity but ruled out declaring a national emergency, stating that current legislation does not classify migration flows as a threat to national security.
Video footage captured crowds, predominantly Moroccan nationals, circumventing breakwaters at Tarajal beach to reach local roads. While most were young men, families with women and children were also present. “Viva España!” some shouted to an Associated Press photographer.
Spain remains a primary entry point into Europe for migrants fleeing violence or seeking economic opportunity.
The escalation follows a recent surge in crossing attempts, many involving migrants swimming around border barriers to reach the exclave.
The scenes evoked memories of the May 2021 crisis, when over 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta within 48 hours.
Ceuta’s regional president, Juan Jesús Vivas, formally requested a national emergency declaration citing security concerns, demanding additional police and army deployments to the frontier.
Vivas argued that reinforcements were essential “to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety.”
He had warned a day earlier that reception centers were overwhelmed, with hundreds forced to sleep on the streets.
The Interior Ministry countered that the legal framework for national emergencies does not define migration flows as a national security risk.
The ministry stated that administrations are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta.”
It added that Morocco is “closely cooperating” with Spain, noting that Moroccan police are intercepting “numerous people” attempting to cross.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is scheduled to visit Ceuta on Friday to assess the situation firsthand.