Thousands of migrants from Morocco enter Spanish enclave of Ceuta as locals demand army restore border

Officials in the tiny Spanish coastal territory of Ceuta have asked for a national emergency to be declared after thousands of migrants arrived from Morocco.

In response, Spain's interior ministry promised to guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation's border.

But authorities in Madrid said on Thursday a national emergency could not be raised over migration concerns, rejecting calls to send the army to restore the frontier.

Ceuta is located on the northern tip of Morocco, at the point where the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea meet in the western Mediterranean.

Video showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads in the Spanish North African enclave, along with pictures of migrants celebrating their safe arrival.

While the majority appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and children. "Viva Espana!", some shouted, according to a freelance photographer working for The Associated Press.

Around 1,500 migrants reached the city by swimming across from Morocco ​over the past week, according to the head of Ceuta's regional government, Juan Jesus Vivas.

The recent influx had overwhelmed the city's ⁠reception system and left hundreds of migrants sleeping outside, Mr Vivas told local radio stations Cadena SER and Onda Cero.

"We are facing a situation ​of absolute humanitarian and social emergency," he said, warning that facilities for ​unaccompanied minors were operating at 2,400% capacity.

Read more on Sky News:
Four die crossing Channel
Boats with 2,000 capacity seized

Mr Vivas called for the national government to declare a national emergency on grounds of national security, asking for more police and for the army to be deployed "to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety."

Spain's interior ministry said the Moroccan government was "closely cooperating" with Spain to handle the situation, saying Moroccan police were stopping "numerous people" who were trying to cross the border.

(c) Sky News 2026: Thousands of migrants from Morocco enter Spanish enclave of Ceuta as locals demand army