Thousands Breach Ceuta Border, Spain Deploys Military

Overview

• On Thursday, July 30, groups of migrants swam around the Tarajal breakwater, scaled fences and forced gates to enter Ceuta in what local authorities described as a mass crossing that overwhelmed border forces.
• Recovery teams and police reported dozens of deaths at sea with official counts rising and different agencies giving varying totals as search operations continue and figures are reconciled.
• The central government deployed the Armed Forces to support the Guardia Civil, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta, and Spain and Morocco agreed to accelerate returns with tens of thousands reported to have already gone back.
• Ceuta’s reception centers were pushed past capacity, hundreds slept outdoors and local officials warned of acute humanitarian, health and protection risks for children and other vulnerable people.
• European responses split between offers of operational help from the EU and Frontex, French border tightening and Italian calls to limit Schengen ties while Spanish authorities say traffickers exploited a recent Supreme Court ruling on summary sea returns.