Sleepless night near border of Spain's Ceuta as migrants torch vehicles

Thousands of migrants stormed the Moroccan town of Fnideq overnight, with 2,000 to 3,000 people crossing into Spain's Ceuta enclave on Thursday despite a heavy security deployment.

Most crossings happened before midday, according to Spanish state broadcaster TVE and residents of Fnideq. Ceuta and Melilla form the European Union's only land border with Africa.

How many migrants crossed into Ceuta?

TVE reported that between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants successfully crossed into Ceuta on Thursday, with most crossings completed before midday.

Ceuta authorities said nine bodies had been retrieved following the surge. Spain responded by sending additional military and police reinforcements to the enclave.

What happened at the Ceuta border overnight?

The main border crossing appeared blocked, so groups of migrants moved along the coast searching for alternative routes around the fence.

Some prepared to swim across, while Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon trucks and repeatedly pushed back people approaching the gates. Nearby stood the charred remains of a bus and seven vehicles, left after clashes broke out as authorities tried to stop the crowds, Reuters witnesses said.

Brahim, 32, who gave only one name, said he arrived from Tangier hoping to cross through the gate but found it effectively shut. Women and children from Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa were among those hoping to reach the enclave of 85,000 people. Another migrant, who declined to be named, said he was caught in a stampede during an attempted crossing and feared for his life amid the chaos.

Migrants gather around a torched vehicle while waiting for a chance to cross to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the Moroccan side of the border in Fnideq, Morocco, July 31, 2026. Reuters

Why are migrants trying to reach Ceuta?

Ceuta and Melilla periodically see surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe through Spain's African enclaves. Spain's Socialist government has taken a notably pro-migrant stance compared with much of Europe. It recently launched a program to grant legal status to roughly 500,000 undocumented migrants, a move that triggered applications double that number.

What did migrants at the Ceuta border say?

Traffic clogged the roads into Fnideq as more people, including minors, kept arriving through the night. Some walked the highway into the city, while others took mountain paths to avoid checkpoints. Security forces repeatedly turned back concerted rushes on the crossing, and migrants regrouped on roads, hills and open ground across the city.

Early Friday, Fatima Mahli, 23, sat with her two daughters on a patch of grass beside the road to the crossing. The Tetouan resident said her husband left before dawn to try swimming to Ceuta. "I thought I could cross by foot through the border, but we are stuck here, unable to go back home," she said.