The migration crisis in the enclave of Ceuta took a deadly turn on Thursday after Spanish security sources reported the recovery of the bodies of nine migrants who were attempting to reach the territory by sea. Authorities fear the death toll could rise in the coming hours, with preliminary assessments indicating that the victims drowned while trying to bypass the maritime border near the Tarajal crossing.
As thousands of migrants continue to enter Ceuta, the Spanish government has ordered the deployment of military units stationed in the enclave to support the Civil Guard, whose officers have acknowledged that their operational capacity has come under severe strain due to the sustained influx.
According to Spain's government, the armed forces will operate under the command of security authorities and provide logistical and operational support to help maintain order in the city. Additional Civil Guard reinforcements have also been dispatched as authorities seek to contain the situation.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to travel to Ceuta alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, where they will visit the Tarajal border crossing and hold a coordination meeting with Ceuta regional president Juan Jesús Vivas, senior police and Civil Guard officials, representatives of migrant reception centers, and the Spanish Red Cross.
On the Moroccan side of the border, thousands of people, most of them young Moroccans, continued to gather in the city of Fnideq, where a human queue stretching for nearly five kilometers formed toward the border crossing with Ceuta.
The latest developments come despite an agreement reached earlier on Thursday between Rabat and Madrid to accelerate the return of migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly. However, the crossings have continued, with reports indicating that Moroccan security forces are facing mounting pressure as they seek to manage the growing crowds.
The crisis has also drawn the attention of the European Union. The European Commission has offered additional support to Spain, including the possible deployment of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). Meanwhile, Italian authorities are reportedly considering suspending the application of the Schengen Agreement with Spain over concerns that migrants entering Ceuta could move onward to other European countries, highlighting how the situation has evolved from a local border challenge into a broader European security issue.
