Thousands of people spent the night on beaches, waiting by fences or wading through the sea in the hope of reaching Europe, as an estimated 49,000 migrants crossed into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
By Friday morning, Spain and Morocco had reinforced security around Ceuta after an unprecedented surge saw an estimated 49,000 migrants cross into the Spanish enclave by land and sea in just 24 hours.
Officials said at least 34 people died during the crossings, with bodies recovered from the water.
The dramatic scenes have triggered a humanitarian and political crisis, while highlighting mounting pressure on one of Europe's most sensitive borders.
Ceuta, along with the nearby Spanish enclave of Melilla, forms the European Union's only land border with Africa. The two territories, both on Morocco's northern coast, have long been flashpoints for migration.
However, officials said the latest influx was unlike anything seen before. With a population of around 85,000, Ceuta received more than half that number again in a single day. Spanish authorities said around 7,000 of those who crossed were children.
Videos showed thousands of people swimming around the border fence or making the dangerous journey along the coastline. Others climbed over barriers or entered through border crossings as security forces struggled to cope.
By Friday, Moroccan security forces had deployed water cannon and pushed back crowds gathering near the crossing points. Burnt-out vehicles remained near the border following overnight clashes.
Spain has deployed additional police officers and armed forces personnel to Ceuta and Melilla as it works with Morocco to regain control of the border.
The Interior Ministry said migrants who entered illegally would be returned "as soon as possible", while respecting court rulings and their legal rights.
The surge came just weeks after Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be immediately returned to Morocco under special border procedures.
Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres said the government had responded quickly and would continue processing returns within the law.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to Ceuta on Friday alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The crisis has reopened divisions across Europe over migration policy.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned her government was prepared "to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the safety of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain".
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also criticised Spain's recent immigration policies, arguing they encouraged human trafficking.
Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected the criticism, calling Tajani's remarks "inappropriate". He said Spain expected "solidarity and not partisan demagoguery" from its European partners and announced he would summon the Italian ambassador in protest.
Ceuta and Melilla have experienced repeated waves of attempted crossings over the years as migrants fleeing conflict, poverty and instability seek a route into Europe.
The last major surge came in 2021, when around 10,000 people entered Ceuta over two days. Officials said the latest influx is the largest the enclave has experienced since then and could mark one of the biggest single-day border crossings into the European Union in recent years.
Human rights groups have urged both Spain and Morocco to ensure migrants are treated with dignity and have access to humanitarian support, warning that local resources in Ceuta are already under severe strain.
President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to let European representatives join the next round of Ukraine peace t...
Azerbaijan and the UK have pledged to strengthen defence, trade and education cooperation after signing a joint declaration elevating relations to ...
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday it had targeted a U.S. early-warning radar system in Bahrain, raising fresh co...
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
Iran will not let a single particle of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, and any new U.S. attack would be met with strikes on distant American bases, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to let European representatives join the next round of Ukraine peace talks while the United States continues to work towards what could become the largest prisoner exchange of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Azerbaijan and the UK have pledged to strengthen defence, trade and education cooperation after signing a joint declaration elevating relations to a strategic level in Dublin, Ireland on Thursday (12 November).
More than 333,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen since the beginning of August as fighting has escalated, including more than 24,000 in the past week alone, the United Nations said on Thursday.
A court in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad has sentenced human rights lawyer Maria Bontsler to 12 years in prison on treason charges, after prosecutors accused her of passing sensitive information to Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to double tariffs on Mexico unless it stops more than a thousand migrants who are walking north towards the United States, warning that they will be denied entry.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment