Members of the Guardia Civil USECIC guard migrants on Tarajal beach after they crossed the border between Spain and Morocco on July 31 in Ceuta, Spain. (Adri Salido / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short August 6, 2026 at 3:05pm
It has been a week since the invasion of Ceuta, Spain, and authorities are still dealing with the fallout as thousands remain and the death toll climbs.
The BBC reported Thursday that between 3,000 and 5,000 illegal aliens are still in the small Spanish city located in North Africa. The outlet reported 78,000 crossings had taken place since the invasion began.
“The crossings came after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to Morocco,” the BBC reported.
The Associated Press blamed “runaway online rumors” that the border between Morocco and Spain was opening up.
The mayor and president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, expressed “profound sorrow” to the European Parliament over the deaths of 100 people, calling it an “irreparable tragedy.”
The Associated Press reported that some drowned while trying to swim to Ceuta, and others were killed in a stampede over a breakwater barrier.
Has Trump done a good job of securing the border?
Despite expressing sadness, Vivas commented on the geopolitical dimension of the invasion, as Ceuta shares a border with Morocco.
He said this was an “unequivocal attack,” adding, “Our people feel sad, helpless, anxious, fearful and worried — and they have good reason to, because it is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again.”
The AP reported that since last week, Spain has installed a 1,600-foot-long barrier on the sea border.
Questions have arisen as to why Morocco’s border guards did not stop the surge.
Footage of the effects of the invasion has been steadily coming out.
The New York Post noted on social media platform X that the border crossers had been complaining about the lack of food and blankets. Videos showed the immigrants loitering in the streets.
African Migrants in Ceuta Complain About Treatment: ‘No Food, No Blankets’ pic.twitter.com/RmWGWe2oVA
— New York Post (@nypost) August 3, 2026
More footage began circulating on X of the invaders marching in the streets chanting, “Allahu Akbar.”
Right now, invading Moroccans in Ceuta carry an injured man through the streets screaming “Allahu Akbar.”
Dirty Sánchez says this isn’t happening.
https://t.co/8s55sg0CCs— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) August 2, 2026
On Friday, CBS News international reporter Aiden Stretch spoke to one of these men who told him “Every Moroccan, they want to go to Europe.
“If you go to Spain, you’re going to have all that you want.”
When contemplating the future of Ceuta, it’s easy to understand the pessimism Vivas expressed.
Moroccans want to come to Spain.
Ceuta’s people are fearful — and they should be.
More than 37,500 migrants have returned to Morocco after an estimated 60,000 crossed into Spain’s Ceuta enclave this week. The rush turned deadly, with some migrants drowning as they tried to swim to the territory. CBS News’ @aidan_stretch spoke with one migrant about why he… pic.twitter.com/KqBBXhhiOH
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 31, 2026
The death toll and general chaos of the past week are a reminder of why border security is important.
This is a great example of why it’s so important to maintain constant border security.
A lapse for just one day, in the case of Ceuta (or in the case of the United States during the Biden administration, a lapse of years), causes lingering effects that are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.
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Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
