Spain has deployed troops to its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco in a dramatic surge that left at least 15 people dead and stretched local resources beyond capacity.
The military deployment comes after migrants entered the Spanish territory on Thursday by swimming around the border jetty after apparently slipping past weakened border controls. The sudden influx overwhelmed reception centres and prompted local leaders to appeal to Madrid for urgent intervention.
Spain's Interior Ministry said the armed forces would support the Civil Guard in restoring order and protecting the territory.
"The armed forces will reinforce the Civil Guard in the exercise of its powers and any others that may be necessary to maintain security in the city of Ceuta," the ministry said.
The latest developments follow a ruling by Spain's Supreme Court earlier this month that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be immediately returned to Morocco.
Spain's interior ministry accused human trafficking networks of taking advantage of that decision to encourage more people to attempt the dangerous journey.
"The armed forces will reinforce the Civil Guard in the exercise of its powers and any others that may be necessary to maintain security in the city of Ceuta," the ministry said.
Ceuta, located on Morocco's northern coast across the Strait of Gibraltar from mainland Spain, has for years remained one of the main entry points for migrants hoping to reach Europe.
The number of attempted crossings had already been rising over the past several days before Thursday's large-scale breach. Thousands of migrants were seen sliding down concrete embankments before entering the sea and swimming around the jetty that separates Morocco from the Spanish enclave.
On the Spanish shoreline, beaches were littered with rubber rings and flippers left behind by those who completed the crossing. While some celebrated reaching Spanish territory, at least 15 others drowned during the attempt.
Authorities have not explained what triggered the sudden rise in crossings or how much effort Moroccan security forces made to stop those attempting to leave. During the height of the crossings, one Spanish official described the border situation as being in total collapse.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to visit Ceuta on Friday and has promised to restore normal operations without delay.
Local officials say migrant reception facilities have been overwhelmed by the large numbers arriving and have criticised the central government for responding too slowly.
Juan Jesús Vivas, the leader of Ceuta, said the scale of the arrivals had placed enormous pressure on the city's resources and urged Madrid to take immediate action.
The situation has also sparked a diplomatic row with Italy after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government was considering extraordinary measures, including suspending the Schengen open-border agreement with Spain.
In a post on X she said the images from Ceuta were "striking", and show that "uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe's borders".
Her comments echoed remarks made earlier by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Spain rejected the criticism, with Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares accusing Tajani of using immigration for political purposes.
He said such remarks were "improper" for "a partner and friendly country from which we expect European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery".
The Schengen Area allows free movement across the internal borders of 29 European countries that have removed routine border checks.
Authorities have not confirmed how many people entered Ceuta on Thursday. Spanish media, citing Reuters, estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants reached the enclave, although the Guardia Civil has not verified those figures.
As tensions grew, there were unconfirmed reports of clashes later on Thursday.
Witnesses told Reuters that Moroccan authorities used water cannons in the nearby town of Fnideq to try and stop migrants from heading towards the border.
In Melilla, Spain's other autonomous city in North Africa, videos shared by local media and human rights groups appeared to show confrontations at the Beni Ansar border crossing.
The latest influx has drawn comparisons with May 2021, when around 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta within days, worsening diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco.
Ceuta and Melilla remain the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Although Spain has strengthened surveillance, reinforced border barriers and worked more closely with Morocco to improve security, migrants continue to attempt the dangerous crossing into the two enclaves.