Dramatic footage from the Spain-Morocco border has captured scenes of chaos as thousands of illegal migrants attempted to swim into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, with authorities saying the death toll from the crossings has risen to 34.Videos circulating online showed large numbers of people entering the sea and swimming around the border fence separating Morocco from Ceuta, while others gathered along the coastline waiting for an opportunity to cross. On the Moroccan side, security forces fired tear gas, deployed water cannons and fired warning shots into the air as they tried to disperse crowds and stop further crossings.The unprecedented surge has seen an estimated 60,000 people enter Ceuta, according to the city’s leader, overwhelming local authorities and prompting Spain to deploy additional military personnel for humanitarian assistance.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited Ceuta on Friday, described the mass crossing as “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” and blamed human trafficking networks for spreading false hopes among migrants. He said smugglers had exploited a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling on sea arrivals, encouraging thousands to believe they could not be immediately returned if they reached Spanish territory by swimming.The humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated. Local Civil Guard representatives said many migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on pavements as emergency services struggled to cope. Many of those who died are believed to have drowned, while others were reportedly killed in a stampede near the Tarajal beach breakwater during the rush to cross.Rights groups said migrants detained by Moroccan authorities were transported away from the border, but fresh groups continued to arrive. Others who had reached Ceuta later chose to return voluntarily to Morocco.The crisis has also sparked political tensions across Europe. Italy threatened to tighten border controls with Spain, while France announced stronger checks along its frontier. Meanwhile, Spanish opposition leaders accused Sánchez’s government of encouraging irregular migration, a claim Madrid rejected, insisting the surge was triggered by smugglers exploiting confusion over the court ruling rather than changes to Spain’s immigration policy.Ceuta, one of Spain’s two enclaves on the North African coast, remains a key gateway for migrants seeking to reach Europe, with many attempting the dangerous sea crossing from neighbouring Moroccan towns.
