6 mins ago11:38 Lauran O'Toole

One of the following photos shows a crowded Ceuta.

Many migrants are gathered in the scene. Some are fully clothed, while others are shirtless and swim rings fill the beach.

Hundreds of migrants can also be seen walking through the water.

Hundreds of migrants walking through the water (Image: REDUAN DRIS/EPA/Shutterstock)

A crowded Ceuta (Image: REDUAN DRIS/EPA/Shutterstock)

25 mins ago11:19 Lauran O'Toole

Here are some images of migrants making the journey Ceuta.

One shows a young girl in a swim ring.

Another shows thousands of migrants along the shoreline.

Migrants making the journey Ceuta (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Thousands of migrants along the shoreline (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

1 hour ago10:43 Lauran O'Toole

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1 hour ago10:18 Lauran O'Toole

Local officials had appealed to Madrid for additional support following a recent surge in attempted border crossings.

However, chaotic scenes unfolded on Thursday as border controls appeared to break down.

2 hours ago10:11 Lauran O'Toole

1,407 fires have been detected since the start of the year. 

Less than the 1,467 were recorded in the same period of 2025.

Thes images show Spanish soldiers deployed to the enclave of Ceuta on Thursday as authorities step up efforts to regain control following the mass migrant crossings from Morocco.

Images from the territory show military vehicles arriving after Spain announced the armed forces would reinforce the Civil Guard as the border crisis continues.

Spanish army soldiers are deployed to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta (Image: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

Spanish army soldiers travel in military vehicles Ceuta (Image: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

Spanish newspaper El Periódico reports that Civil Guard sources now estimate around 49,000 people have entered Ceuta from Morocco since the migrant surge began.

If accurate, the figure would far exceed the estimated 12,000 people who crossed into the Spanish enclave during the 2021 migration crisis.

The newspaper also reports that hundreds of migrants who entered in recent hours began voluntarily returning to Morocco on Friday morning.

The figure has not been officially confirmed by Spain's Interior Ministry or the Civil Guard.

Migrants try to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta (Image: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

It remains unclear yet how many people have entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta during Thursday's mass crossings.

Spanish media have estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 people, although it says Spain's Guardia Civil has not yet confirmed the figure.

Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa that shares the European Union's only land border with Africa.

While Spain has controlled Ceuta since 1580, Morocco does not recognise it as Spanish territory and considers it occupied land. The enclave has become a recurring flashpoint between the two countries, with migration repeatedly testing diplomatic relations.

The city is also a key gateway for migrants seeking to reach Europe, with many attempting the crossing by swimming from nearby Morocco before applying for asylum or being returned.

It is not yet clear what prompted thousands of people to head for Ceuta, although reports have circulated that social media posts suggested it had become easier to enter the Spanish enclave.

Officials have not yet confirmed these claims.

Young Moroccans walk past a burned-out van following unrest on the road leading to Castillejos borde (Image: MOHAMED SIALI/EPA/Shutterstock)

Burned-out bus following unrest on the road leading to the Castillejos border (Image: MOHAMED SIALI/EPA/Shutterstock)

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says her government is prepared to take "extraordinary measures" in response to the migrant surge into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, including suspending the Schengen Area with Spain.

The Schengen Area allows people to travel between most participating European countries without routine border checks.

In a post on X, Meloni said the images from Ceuta demonstrated that "uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe's borders". She added that Italy "will not stand by and watch" and said officials were convening urgent meetings before deciding on their next steps.

Hundreds of people gathered near the Bab Sebta border crossing on Thursday after reports emerged that social media posts were claiming it had become easier to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Images from the Moroccan side of the border show large crowds assembling on a hillside overlooking the crossing in Fnideq on Thursday as thousands attempted to make the journey into the Spanish territory.

People gather on a hill near the Bab Sebta border crossing (Image: JALAL MORCHIDI/EPA/Shutterstock)

The surge reportedly came after reports on social media (Image: JALAL MORCHIDI/EPA/Shutterstock)

Spain's Interior Ministry says the country and Morocco have agreed to strengthen coordination in response to the surge in migrant crossings.

In a post on X, the ministry said the two countries had committed to reviewing and implementing measures "as soon as possible" to facilitate the handover of people who entered Ceuta illegally.

This map shows just how close the Spanish enclave of Ceuta is to mainland Spain and Morocco.

Located on the northern coast of Africa, Ceuta sits just 13km across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain and shares a land border with Morocco, making it a key gateway for migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Although it is located in North Africa, Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city and forms part of Spain's territory.

A map showing the location of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which borders Morocco and lies just 13km (Image: Getty)

The migrant crisis at the Spain-Morocco border escalated on Thursday after days of mounting pressure, with large crowds breaching the frontier into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Spanish authorities later announced the deployment of armed forces to support the Civil Guard as they work to restore order following the surge in crossings.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is due to travel to Ceuta on Friday alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska after thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave from Morocco.

The visit comes after Madrid announced it would deploy the armed forces to help the Civil Guard maintain security in Ceuta amid the ongoing border crisis.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (Image: AP)

Hundreds of migrants who crossed from Morocco into the Spanish territory of Ceuta have spent the night sleeping on streets and in public spaces as authorities continue to deal with a surge in arrivals.

Images from the scene show groups of migrants resting outdoors after making the journey across the border.

Migrants spend the night on the streets after crossing from Morocco (Image: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

Migrants spend the night on the streets after crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceut (Image: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

5 hours ago06:49 Tannur Anders

5 hours ago06:29 Tannur Anders

To reach Ceuta, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq.

It is about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) to reach the Spanish territory from Fnideq.

Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

Hundreds of migrants reach Spain's Ceuta after swimming from Morocco (Image: Getty)

6 hours ago06:03 Tannur Anders

Ceuta and Melilla are heavily fortified.

The territories are seen as a destination for those trying to reach Spain from Africa.

7 hours ago04:53 Tannur Anders

7 hours ago04:29 Tannur Anders

Ceuta has been a flashpoint in major diplomatic crises between Madrid and Rabat.

In May 2021, the Moroccan government dropped its border controls and let some 8,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries pour into Ceuta in just two days.

The move was broadly interpreted as retaliation from Morocco for Spain's decision to allow a pro-independence leader from the disputed Western Sahara region to receive medical treatment at a Spanish hospital.

The border was restored only after Spain's prime minister shifted the country's long-standing position on Western Sahara, and met with Moroccan King Mohammed VI the following year.

8 hours ago03:46 Tannur Anders

Thousands of migrants who entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa could benefit from what police unions say is a new legal loophole created by a recent ruling from Spain's Supreme Court.

Officials estimated that around 20,000 migrants managed to bypass the long border fence separating Morocco from the Spanish territory on Thursday.

Police unions argued that migrants had been encouraged by a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month, claiming it had created a "pull factor" for those attempting to reach Ceuta and Melilla.

The country's highest court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be immediately returned under the enclaves' special border-rejection regime.

Read more here.

Hundreds of people swam across to Ceuta from Morocco (Image: Getty)

9 hours ago02:57 Tannur Anders

10 hours ago01:38 Tannur Anders

People gather at Bab Sebta (Image: Getty)

Woman at Morocco-Spain border (Image: Getty)

11 hours ago00:18 Tannur Anders

11 hours ago00:15 Tannur Anders

Spain has announced it will deploy troops to its North African territories of Ceuta and Melilla after border officials warned the frontier had "totally collapsed" following a surge in migrant crossings.

The move comes after thousands of migrants reportedly entered the European Union enclaves in recent days, with hundreds more believed to have crossed on Thursday alone.

Read more here.

12 hours ago23:27 Tannur Anders

Ceuta and the larger Spanish territory of Melilla that is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) further south, are located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa.

Both autonomous cities belong to Spain and share the European Union's only land borders with Africa.

Ceuta has been in Spanish possession since 1580

It is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, and Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers who live in relative harmony.

Morocco does not officially recognize Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory, and often refers to them as occupied lands.

12 hours ago23:17 Tannur Anders

Videos and images from the frontier showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco onto local roads.

The majority looked to be young men, though there were also families with women and children.

12 hours ago23:15 Tannur Anders

Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain's Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, said: "The situation is absolute chaos."

"It's not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing."

He added that the border had "totally collapsed."

13 hours ago23:07 Tannur Anders

Spain's Interior Ministry has rejected calls to declare a national emergency.

The Interior Ministry said the measure does not cover migration crises.

It later announced that the armed forces will send 60 troops to reinforce the border.

13 hours ago23:04 Tannur Anders

The government of Ceuta said on Thursday, July 30 that between 1,500 and 2,000 people had entered in the last 10 days, Al Jazeera reports.

It is understood that hundreds more were estimated to have arrived on Thursday.

13 hours ago22:59 Callum Hoare

13 hours ago22:56 Callum Hoare

Local news outlets are reporting that clashes have broken out on the border between migrants and police.

Videos and images shared online appear to show cars alight.

13 hours ago22:49 Callum Hoare