Spain installs floating barrier after deadly Ceuta migrant rush
Spanish police officers and soldiers escort a big group of migrants to the border to take them out of Spain, after mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 1, 2026. PHOTO | REUTERS
Ceuta. Spain has begun installing a 500-metre floating barrier along its North African enclave of Ceuta after a mass migrant rush that left at least 67 people dead, with authorities saying no new crossings were recorded overnight.
Spanish authorities said around 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea from Thursday in an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. More than 48,000 people returned to Morocco within 48 hours without major incidents, according to Spain.
Reuters footage on Saturday showed Spanish soldiers and police patrolling a largely deserted Tarajal beach, covered in fog.
The Civil Guard began installing the new barrier at 7:50am (0550 GMT) at the Tarajal breakwater, one of the main routes used by migrants attempting to enter the Spanish territory, the government said in a statement.
The pneumatic barrier, supported by anchored naval buoys, will rise 30 to 70 centimetres above water and extend about one metre below the surface. A channel between the barriers will allow Civil Guard vessels to patrol the area.
At least 67 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the border after some migrants drowned while others were crushed during attempts to climb the breakwater and border fence. Many were driven by economic hardship and social media rumours promising easier entry into Europe.
EU seeks emergency response
The incident has triggered divisions within the European Union, with several countries calling for Spain to contain the situation.
Twenty-two EU governments on Saturday called for an emergency meeting of interior ministers, urging the bloc to support Madrid in restoring control of its border with Morocco.
Spain’s centre-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also called for urgent talks among EU leaders but criticised countries that suggested excluding Spain from the passport-free Schengen travel area.
Italy’s right-wing government announced on Friday that it would suspend Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month.
“In the current international context, the EU cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” Mr Sánchez wrote.
In a letter to Ireland, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, the governments said the crossings had challenged the bloc’s external border and risked encouraging further irregular migration.
They called for a coordinated response, including possible additional support from the EU border agency Frontex and a review of cooperation with Morocco. France, Luxembourg and Portugal did not sign the letter, alongside Spain and Ireland.
Pressure on Schengen system
Madrid said migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly would not be allowed to travel to mainland Spain or other parts of the Schengen zone.
The Foreign Ministry said people leaving Ceuta by sea or air undergo police identity checks, providing an additional layer of control after the land border with Morocco.
Unlike many European countries, Spain has adopted a more open approach towards migrants, including a programme to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented people.
However, the government rejected claims that the regularisation programme encouraged the rush into Ceuta, saying applicants must prove they had been living in Spain before January 1, 2026, and must have completed five continuous months of residence when applying.
Mr Sánchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, described the crossings as a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty and said efforts to return migrants were being accelerated with cooperation from Moroccan authorities.
