The Spanish government has deployed its military to the North African enclave of Ceuta to support the Civil Guard in restoring order following a major migrant wave that has overwhelmed the territory's border with Morocco.
At least nine people died during the crossings, prompting a major security response from local officials, who warned that the city could no longer handle the influx of migrants.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska are expected to visit Ceuta as Madrid scrambles to contain the crisis, which marks one of the largest migrant waves to hit Ceuta since 2021.
The surge has brought chaos to the territory, with thousands of migrants crossing the border, according to local officials.
Video from the area showed large groups of migrants entering Ceuta through the Tarajal border area, with many arriving by swimming around coastal barriers separating Morocco from Spanish territory.
Most of the migrants appeared to be young men, though families with women and children were also among those crossing, according to eyewitness accounts.
Spanish authorities have said that Morocco is cooperating with efforts to regain control of the border, with Moroccan police intercepting numerous migrants attempting to cross and working to return those who entered the territory illegally as quickly as possible.
Authorities have not identified a single cause for the sudden surge, though Ceuta officials have pointed to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that limits the immediate return of migrants who arrive by sea without due process.
Some migration advocates have questioned whether the ruling alone could explain the dramatic increase, arguing that many migrants would likely have been unaware of the decision.
The crisis has reverberated beyond Spain, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatening to suspend Italy's participation in the Schengen open-border agreement with Spain, citing the need to defend its borders and ensure the safety of its citizens.
Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, has long been one of Europe's most active migration flashpoints, with migrants from across Africa regularly attempting to reach the enclave by swimming from Morocco or scaling the heavily fortified border fence in hopes of gaining entry into the European Union.
Spain's Interior Ministry reported that nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year through mid-July, before this week's crossings dramatically increased those figures.
