Spain Deploys Military to Ceuta as 15 Drown in Migrant Surge

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was due to hold emergency talks with Ceuta officials on Friday. In a post on X, he told Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas that his administration was deploying all necessary resources and partnering with Moroccan and international authorities to "restore normalcy as soon as possible."

The influx was triggered by a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that people intercepted en route to Ceuta cannot be returned to Morocco, the interior ministry said. It blamed organized human traffickers for using the decision to "encourage the flow of undocumented migrants." The ruling effectively removes the main legal tool Spain used to deter crossings, the ministry indicated.

Ceuta is a key staging post for migrants trying to reach Europe, separated from the Spanish mainland by the Gibraltar Strait, just 10 miles wide. Once on EU soil, people can move passport-free through the Schengen area. That prompted France to tighten its border with Spain.

"In response to the situation observed in the Ceuta enclave, I gave instructions as of last night to immediately strengthen the controls at the Spanish border. Furthermore, I am activating the Rapid Intervention Border Force for in-depth checks," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on X on Friday morning.