At least 18 people have died after thousands of migrants from Morocco attempted to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to Indonesian news outlet detikNews. The incident occurred on Friday, July 31, 2026, as a large group rushed the border crossing.
The deaths were reported among those who attempted to reach Ceuta by swimming from Moroccan territory, detikNews reported. The same outlet described the event as a mass surge of migrants breaching the border, with some reports comparing the chaotic scenes to a "zombie film," as cited by CNBC Indonesia.
The scale of the crossing drew immediate regional attention. CNN Indonesia reported that Italian officials expressed anger over the incident, citing figures that as many as 60,000 Moroccan nationals had attempted to enter Spain, with a separate death toll of 34 mentioned in that report. The discrepancy in figures between outlets underscores the rapidly evolving and chaotic nature of the situation on the ground.
DetikNews also reported that the migrants crossed both by sea and by land, overwhelming border defenses in a coordinated push. The event marks one of the largest single-day incursions into the Spanish territory in recent memory, highlighting the ongoing pressure on Europe's southern border from migration routes originating in North Africa.
Spanish authorities have not yet released an official statement on the full casualty count or the number of migrants who successfully entered Ceuta. The enclave, which shares a land border with Morocco, has long been a flashpoint for migration into the European Union.
Watch for official confirmation from Spanish and Moroccan authorities on the final death toll and the number of migrants who remain in Ceuta, as well as any diplomatic response from the European Union.
