Spain has deployed additional military personnel and police officers to its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants crossed into the territory from neighboring Morocco within hours, many by swimming around border barriers or entering on foot, according to The Guardian.
Videos recorded at Tarajal Beach on Thursday showed large crowds running across the shoreline and into nearby streets after reaching Spanish territory.
Most of those arriving appeared to be young men, although families, women, and children were also among the migrants.
Some could be heard shouting, “Long live Spain!” as they entered the enclave.
A spokesperson for Spain’s Civil Guard, which is responsible for border security, confirmed that migrants were “entering massively by sea” through the Tarajal breakwater but said authorities were unable to provide an immediate estimate of the total number of arrivals.
Spain’s national broadcaster TVE reported that between 2,000 and 3,000 people had entered Ceuta, while the state news agency EFE said that some migrants also crossed by climbing the territory’s high border fence.
EFE further reported that Moroccan security forces, equipped with riot-control gear, used tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse crowds gathering near the border.
“The situation is complete chaos,” said Rachid Sbihi, head of the association representing Civil Guard officers in Ceuta.
“It is impossible to provide precise figures, but thousands of migrants are crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “completely collapsed.”
The latest surge has intensified pressure on Spanish authorities and reignited debate across Europe over border security, migration management, and the protection of the European Union’s external frontiers.
