← Timeline
Ceuta Migrant Crossings
August 2026
Yday Spain cancelled all leave for military personnel in Ceuta
Yday Ceuta leader demanded migrant detention centre and expulsions after mass influx
Yday EU, Meta and TikTok agreed to create Ceuta disinformation channel
3d ago Spain checked 199 travellers on 12 flights from Italy
4d ago Spain began temporary border checks on air and sea arrivals from Italy
4d ago Migrant died attempting to paraglide from Morocco into Ceuta
4d ago Italy refused to lift border checks despite Spain's retaliation threat
4d ago Spain planned mainland transfers for migrant minors stranded in Ceuta
4d ago Spain threatened reciprocal border controls unless Italy lifted its checks
5d ago Ceuta leader Juan Jesús Vivas estimated border rush killed 100 people
5d ago Spanish Civil Guard investigated calls for August 15 Ceuta crossing
5d ago Spanish authorities put Ceuta crossing death toll at 80
6d ago Ceuta leader called child migrant numbers unsustainable and sought government aid
6d ago Ceuta sought transfer of hundreds of unaccompanied minors to mainland Spain
Aug 4 Spain allocated €25 million to support child migrants stranded in Ceuta
Aug 4 EU ministers backed Spain and tougher border controls after Ceuta talks
Aug 4 Spanish media reported authorities identified suspected jihadists among Ceuta arrivals
Aug 4 Spain and Morocco traded blame over deadly Ceuta crossings
Aug 4 Spain considered regularising undocumented migrants stranded in Ceuta
Aug 4 EU halted migrants' onward movement from Ceuta to mainland Europe
Aug 4 EU ministers met for emergency talks over the Ceuta migrant crisis
Aug 3 Spain declared its sovereignty over Ceuta was unquestionable
Aug 3 Ceuta president Juan Vivas accused Morocco of enabling mass border crossing
Aug 3 Hundreds of migrants set up beach camp as Ceuta struggled with influx
Aug 3 Ursula von der Leyen urged stronger EU borders and more support for Morocco
Aug 3 Morocco blamed disinformation and traffickers for mass Ceuta crossings
Aug 2 Morocco reported 11 Ceuta crossing deaths, conflicting with Spain's toll
Aug 2 Spain denied ignoring intelligence warnings before Ceuta migrant surge
Aug 2 Moroccan families searched for loved ones missing after deadly Ceuta crossings
Aug 2 Vox politicians visited Ceuta and blamed Spain's government for migrant crisis
Aug 2 Thousands of migrants remained in Ceuta hoping to reach mainland Europe
Aug 2 Pedro Sánchez faced backlash for holidaying during Ceuta crisis and wildfires
Aug 2 Ceuta migrant crossing death toll rose to 72
Aug 1 Spain and Italy clashed over responses to the Ceuta migrant crossings
Aug 1 Thomas Massie accused Republicans of hypocrisy over Ceuta migrant crisis
Aug 1 Hundreds of unaccompanied minors were stranded in Ceuta after mass crossing
Aug 1 Twenty-two EU leaders called emergency talks over Ceuta migrant crisis
Aug 1 Pedro Sánchez criticized Giorgia Meloni's restored border controls after Ceuta surge
Aug 1 Spain began installing 500-meter sea barrier along Ceuta's border
Aug 1 Ceuta migrant crossing death toll rose to 67
Aug 1 Pedro Sánchez condemned EU governments' response to Ceuta migrant influx
July 2026
Jul 31 Spain said most Ceuta migrants had returned to Morocco
Jul 31 Ceuta migrant crossing death toll rose to 57
Jul 31 France increased border checks with Spain over Ceuta migrant influx
Jul 31 Spanish residents and US lawmaker Brandon Gill criticized Pedro Sánchez over Ceuta crisis
Jul 31 Pedro Sánchez called Ceuta migrant influx an attack and blamed trafficking networks
Jul 31 French and Italian leaders criticized Spain over Ceuta migrant surge
Jul 31 Italy restored border controls with Spain over Ceuta migrant influx
Jul 31 Donald Trump used Ceuta crisis to warn US voters
Jul 31 Spain and Morocco halted mass crossings at Ceuta border
Jul 31 Pedro Sánchez traveled to Ceuta after mass migrant crossings
Jul 30 Around 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta after border controls collapsed
Jul 30 Spanish politicians and Western intelligence accused Morocco of facilitating Ceuta crossings
Jul 30 At least 18 migrants died trying to reach Ceuta
Jul 30 White House criticized Spain over Ceuta migrant surge
Jul 30 Spain summoned Italy's ambassador over Schengen suspension call
Jul 30 Italy called for Spain's suspension from Schengen over Ceuta crisis
Jul 30 Pedro Sánchez mobilized government resources after thousands attempted to enter Ceuta
Jul 30 Ceuta authorities asked Madrid to declare national emergency and send army
Jul 30 Ceuta declared humanitarian and security emergency over migrant arrivals
Jul 30 Spain deployed military forces to Ceuta after mass migrant crossings
Jul 30 Thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta
Jul 29 French police failed to stop migrant boat from reaching UK
Jul 8 Spain's Supreme Court issued ruling later linked to deadly Ceuta crossings