Spain has begun installing a 500-metre floating barrier off the coast of Ceuta after migrant crossings into the North African enclave stopped overnight following a mass border rush that left at least 67 people dead.
Spanish authorities said around 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco by land and sea from Thursday, marking an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union’s few land borders with Africa.
More than 48,000 of those who entered had returned to Morocco within 48 hours, according to Madrid, which said the returns took place without major incident.
Spanish soldiers and police were seen patrolling the largely deserted Tarajal beach on Saturday as thick fog covered the area.
The Civil Guard began installing the new barrier at the Tarajal breakwater shortly before 8 a.m. local time. The site was one of the main routes used during the mass crossing attempt.
The pneumatic barrier will stand between 30 and 70 centimetres above the water and extend as much as one metre below the surface. It will be reinforced by a line of anchored naval buoys, while a passage between the barriers will allow Civil Guard patrol boats to operate.
Officials said at least 67 bodies had been recovered on the Spanish side of the border. Some victims drowned, while others were crushed as large crowds attempted to scale the breakwater and border fence.
Spanish authorities said many of those who attempted the crossing had been driven by economic hardship and encouraged by rumours circulating on social media.
EU states demand emergency meeting
The crisis has triggered growing concern across the European Union, with 22 member states calling for an emergency meeting of interior ministers to discuss border security and the bloc’s response.
In a letter to Ireland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, the governments said the mass crossings posed a challenge to the EU’s external border and risked encouraging further irregular migration.
They called for a coordinated European response, including possible additional support from the EU border agency Frontex and a review of cooperation with Morocco.
France, Luxembourg and Portugal did not sign the letter, along with Spain and Ireland.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also called for an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers but criticised governments demanding Spain’s exclusion from the passport-free Schengen zone.
Italy announced on Friday that it would suspend Schengen travel arrangements with Spain for one month.
Sanchez described the Italian decision as selfish, divisive and unlawful, arguing that the EU could not afford such reactions amid broader international tensions.
Madrid defends Schengen controls
The Spanish government said migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly would not be permitted to travel onwards to mainland Spain or other countries in the Schengen area.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry said all passengers leaving Ceuta by sea or air are subject to police identity checks, creating an additional layer of border control after the frontier with Morocco.
Madrid also rejected claims that its programme to grant legal residency to more than half a million undocumented migrants had encouraged the surge.
The government said applicants must prove they were already living in Spain before January 1, 2026, and demonstrate at least five consecutive months of residence when submitting their applications.
Sanchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, described the crossings as a violation of Spanish sovereignty and said authorities were accelerating returns with the cooperation of Morocco.
Ceuta and Spain’s other North African enclave, Melilla, are located on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast and regularly face attempts by migrants seeking to enter European territory.