Pedro Sánchez Issues Furious Condemnation: Massive Wave of Tens of Thousands of Migrants Storms Spanish Enclave of Ceuta in What He Calls a Direct “Attack on Spain’s Territorial Integrity”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday delivered one of his strongest statements yet on migration, labeling the sudden arrival of tens of thousands of people into the North African enclave of Ceuta a direct “attack on the territorial integrity of Spain.” Speaking during a visit to the autonomous city, Sánchez declared that the events of the previous 24 hours “deserve our most resounding and energetic condemnation.” He stressed that “all of Spain stands with the citizens of Ceuta” and that the national government is fully behind the city, pledging to deploy “every resource of the State” to guarantee security and coexistence.

According to Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, approximately 60,000 migrants crossed from neighboring Morocco by land and sea starting early Thursday, a figure equivalent to roughly 70 percent of the city’s usual population. Spain’s Interior Ministry offered a slightly lower estimate of around 50,000 arrivals. Many of those who entered were described as young men. Crossings occurred both by swimming along the coast and by overwhelming border fences, particularly near Tarajal beach.

The human cost has been significant. Reports indicated that at least 18 people died during the crossings, with some local and international accounts placing the toll higher—between 34 and 41—due to drownings and a deadly stampede as crowds pushed through barriers. Bodies were recovered from coastal areas in the hours that followed.

Sánchez, who cut short his vacation to travel to Ceuta alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, framed the crisis as the work of human-trafficking networks rather than a failure of bilateral relations. He praised ongoing cooperation with Moroccan authorities, describing contacts as “constant, fluid and very reasonable”—a contrast, officials noted, with the more tense 2021 episode when thousands also entered the enclave. The prime minister announced intensified deployments of security forces in the city’s streets, the installation of a physical containment barrier at sea to support border returns, and accelerated processing of repatriation cases for those who arrived irregularly.

Local authorities had already declared a humanitarian and social emergency. Reception centers for unaccompanied minors were reported to be operating at extreme overcapacity, and hundreds of people were sleeping outdoors. By Friday afternoon, Spanish officials said more than 25,000 of those who had crossed had already left the territory, though the scale of the remaining presence continued to strain services and public order.

Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city on a narrow peninsula along Morocco’s northern coast, has long served as a flashpoint for irregular migration into Europe. The latest surge is the largest recorded in a single short period and has drawn sharp political reactions inside Spain. Opposition figures accused the central government of inadequate border preparedness, while European leaders expressed concern over the broader implications for the continent’s external frontiers.In a second statement later on Friday, Sánchez reiterated the government’s determination to restore normality quickly. He underscored continued collaboration with Moroccan counterparts in the fight against the criminal organizations that facilitate such dangerous journeys and reaffirmed Spain’s “total and absolute commitment” to the future of Ceuta. As additional police and military support continued to arrive and repatriation efforts intensified, the situation on the ground remained fluid. Authorities in both Spain and Morocco worked through Friday to stabilize the border and manage the aftermath of what Sánchez described as an unprecedented challenge to Spanish sovereignty.