Overview
- A sudden surge of tens of thousands of people from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in late July overwhelmed local services and produced a humanitarian emergency with thousands still remaining and large numbers of children registered for care.
- Italy reinstated temporary Schengen checks on arrivals from Spain on August 1 to prevent any onward movement, and Spain issued an ultimatum on August 7 before enacting reciprocal air and sea checks on travellers from Italy on August 8.
- Spain said its controls will run until September 7 unless conditions change while Italy has said it will keep its measures at least until August 15, and both capitals have so far refused to back down.
- The death toll from the Ceuta crossings is disputed with Spanish officials reporting roughly 80–100 deaths, Moroccan authorities reporting 11 on their side, and Moroccan rights groups estimating at least 141 fatalities.
- Explanations for the mass crossing differ across actors with EU and Spanish officials blaming organised smuggling and viral disinformation, Moroccan authorities citing a Spanish Supreme Court ruling on sea pushbacks, and EU leaders urging coordinated action with Morocco to tackle smuggling and manage returns.