More Than 1,500 Migrants Swim Into Spain as Ceuta Is Overwhelmed
30th July 2026
A Spanish Supreme Court ruling restricting the immediate return of migrants arriving by sea has been blamed for an influx that has overwhelmed the reception system in Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 migrants, mainly from Morocco, reached Ceuta by sea over a period of nine or ten days, according to the city’s Mayor-President, Juan Jesús Vivas.
“In the last few days, more than 1,500 migrants, including adults and minors, have reached Ceuta by sea,” Vivas told journalists.
“The reception centers have collapsed and are over-saturated,” he said. Ceuta’s temporary migrant reception centre, which has 512 official places, was housing nearly 600 people, while more than 400 others waited outside.
“We are in a very serious situation. We are in a very difficult situation,” Vivas added, warning of conditions like those in May 2021, when around 8,000 illegal migrants stormed and entered Ceuta in just two days, equal to around 10% of the local population.
Footage circulating on the internet shows how easy it is to enter the exclave by sea, as migrants only need to swim around a short pier to bypass the fence that marks the Spanish-Moroccan border.
And this will continue to happen as long as Spain doesn’t get rid of them as soon as possible.