Thousands Storm Spain By Sea As Border Crisis Escalates, Army Deployed, 18 Dead | VIDEO

Spain: On Thursday, the situation suddenly went out of control on the border of Spain's autonomous city of Ceuta. Thousands of migrants started moving towards the border together in search of a better future. Some people reached Spain by swimming in the sea, while some tried to cross the border fencing. At least 18 people died in this chaos. The situation became so serious that the Spanish government had to deploy the army to handle security.

What happened on the border?

According to the New York Times report, on Thursday thousands of people suddenly moved from Morocco towards Ceuta. Within some time a huge crowd gathered at the border. Some people arrived by swimming by sea, while many people tried to enter through the border crossing. The arrival of such a large number of people put tremendous pressure on the security forces. Additional security forces had to be called to handle the situation.

NEW: Spain is now deploying its military after thousands of military-aged men stormed over the border into Ceuta, Spain.

Ceuta authorities are calling on Madrid to declare a national emergency after the border "totally collapsed."

"The situation is absolute chaos. It’s not… pic.twitter.com/Mpe5Lc1xlK

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 30, 2026

What steps did the Spanish government take?

Seeing the situation, the Spanish government decided to send the army to help the Civil Guard. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also announced going to Ceuta along with Home Minister Fernando Grande-Marlasca in view of the seriousness of the situation. 

Officials deployed at the border say that the crowd was so huge that the security system completely collapsed.

Why did such a large number of people arrive?

Human rights activists say that most of the people want to reach Europe for better jobs, economic opportunities and to escape the instability of their country. Ceuta is one of the major routes connecting Africa and Europe. For this reason, people from Morocco often try to reach here by sea.

Why did Italy express concern?

This crisis is affecting the whole of Europe. Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has warned that if the situation does not improve, she may take strict measures regarding the Schengen arrangement with Spain. She says that it is the responsibility of all the member countries to ensure the security of Europe's external borders.

Has such a crisis happened before?

This is not the first time. The Ceuta border has seen huge crowds of migrants before. In May 2021, more than 8,000 people entered Ceuta in just two days. Even after that incident, there was a big debate in Europe regarding border security and illegal migration. Thursday's incident has once again revived the same debate.