An estimated 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta within a 24-hour period beginning Thursday, in what authorities described as the largest irregular border crossing in Spanish history. At least 34 people died in the surge, with many drowning and others killed in a stampede at the Tarajal beach breakwater fence near a border checkpoint. Footage from the scene showed migrants swimming around border barriers, scaling fences, and walking along breakwaters onto local roads, with some shouting "Viva España" upon arrival.

Ceuta's regional president, Juan Jesús Vivas, declared a "total humanitarian and social emergency" and called on Madrid to send troops to restore control of the border, stating that the situation was "absolutely unsustainable." The Spanish national government rejected calls to formally declare a national emergency, arguing such a measure does not apply to migration crises, but announced it would deploy 60 military troops to reinforce the enclave and nearly double the Civil Guard presence from its current level of 80 officers, along with diving teams and coastguard ships. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez traveled to Ceuta on Friday and condemned the crossings as "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity," placing blame on human-smuggling networks.

Thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied minors, were left sleeping on streets and in parks, according to Rachid Sbihi, who leads a workers association representing Civil Guard officers. Sbihi described the scene as "chaotic," noting that people were still entering Ceuta even as military reinforcements focused primarily on humanitarian assistance for the injured. At the same time, large numbers of migrants were observed walking back across the border toward Morocco.

The crisis follows a ruling earlier this month by Spain's Supreme Court that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be returned to Morocco. A Guardia Civil spokesperson told Reuters the ruling had fueled the surge, saying it had been "a slow trickle" since the decision but "today has been an explosion." Spain's Interior Ministry said it was working with Moroccan authorities to address the situation and blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting the legal change to encourage undocumented crossings.

Ceuta and Melilla are the European Union's only land borders with Africa and have long been flashpoints for migration pressure. The current crisis draws comparisons to May 2021, when approximately 10,000 Moroccan and sub-Saharan migrants entered Ceuta within days. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska was expected to visit Ceuta on Friday to assess conditions on the ground.