Spanish Foreign Ministry: Nearly All Undocumented Migrants Have Returned From Ceuta To Morocco

• 1.08.2026, 12:59

The integrity of the Schengen Area is fully guaranteed.

Almost all migrants, who entered the Spanish city of Ceuta illegally, have already returned to Morocco. This was stated by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in a post on social media X.

According to him, it is impossible to enter mainland Spain without being identified at a checkpoint.

“The integrity of the Schengen Area is fully guaranteed. Enough of this deliberate confusion,” the Spanish minister wrote.

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, about 48,300 of the more than 50,000 people who crossed the border with Morocco by land or sea had returned to Morocco by the evening of Friday, July 31, DW reports.

The head of the Ceuta government Juan Jesús Vivas had previously estimated the total number of migrants who had arrived in recent days at 60,000. This exceeds half of Ceuta’s population, which stands at about 84,000 people.

According to Reuters, the bodies of 57 migrants were found on the Spanish side of the border: some drowned, while others died trying to climb over the breakwater supporting the border fence.

The situation on the border between Spain and Morocco—what we know

On July 29–30, thousands of migrants from Morocco stormed into the Spanish city of Ceuta—an autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa. The border breach was accompanied by clashes and cars being set on fire. As a result, all refugee reception centers in the Spanish city were overwhelmed, and many people were sleeping on the streets.

At least 18 people were reported dead: some drowned, while others died in a stampede at the border. The exact cause of the sudden influx of migrants is unknown.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for the Schengen Area to be closed to Spain after migrants breached the border in Ceuta. On July 31, France announced that it was stepping up security measures along its border with Spain.