Thousands of migrants storm Spanish border after breaching Morocco fence

Dramatic scenes unfolded in Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, as thousands of migrants—mostly from Morocco—overwhelmed border fencing and forced their way into Spanish territory. The mass crossing represented one of the most significant breach attempts in recent years at the fortified border between Morocco and the Spanish possession. Local officials described chaotic scenes as migrants, many risking dangerous routes, attempted to reach European soil and access to EU residence permits.

The surge built on an already concerning trend, with more than 1,500 migrants having successfully crossed into Ceuta during the previous week alone, some swimming across the sea to avoid detection. The city’s regional governor has made urgent appeals to the Spanish government in Madrid, requesting military deployment to reinforce border security and prevent further incursions.

The border crossing crisis comes amid broader European migration tensions and as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government has proposed a controversial regularisation scheme that would grant residence permits to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants currently in Spain. The proposal has sparked significant political debate within the country, with critics arguing it incentivises further illegal migration attempts like those witnessed at Ceuta’s borders.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.