Tens of Thousands Cross from Morocco into Spain's Ceuta; Most Return Within Days

Between approximately 50,000 and 60,000 people crossed from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta around July 30, according to Spanish authorities and multiple news outlets. Spanish Interior Minister Grande-Marlaska stated that the vast majority of those who crossed subsequently returned to Morocco, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saying the situation was reversed within roughly 24 to 48 hours. Sánchez sent a letter to Brussels criticizing what he called a "selfish," "polarising and illegal" reaction from some other EU countries to the crisis. CBS News reported that the mass migration event triggered a military response in Ceuta. Officials said people who entered Spain irregularly on July 30 had no path to regularize their status in the country, which Spanish authorities cited as a factor in their rapid return to Morocco. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani commented on the situation, attributing blame in connection with the crossing, though the specific target of his remarks was not detailed across sources. In the United States, President Donald Trump referenced the Ceuta crossings during a Cabinet meeting, calling the situation a "catastrophe" and warning that similar mass migration events could occur in the U.S. if Democrats returned to power. The exact death toll associated with the crossing was referenced by at least one outlet as rising, but specific figures were not corroborated across multiple sources and remain unconfirmed. The precise scale of the initial crossing—reported variously as 50,000 to 60,000 people—was not fully reconciled between sources. The Associated Press reported that the event had generated unsubstantiated claims circulating in public discourse, though it did not specify which claims were false. No further Spanish or EU policy actions beyond Sánchez's letter to Brussels were confirmed as of the reporting period, and the broader diplomatic response from the EU remained unresolved.