Feijóo denounces 'premeditated occupation' as 60,000 migrants enter Ceuta, blames Sánchez

The influx

On Thursday, July 30, more than 50,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, a territory of just over 80,000 inhabitants. Official government figures cited around 50,000, while opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo later spoke of nearly 60,000. Most entered by swimming around border barriers or through the El Tarajal checkpoint, overwhelming local authorities. The images of crowds crossing the fence and swimming along the coast circulated globally, drawing comparisons to the 2021 crisis.

Political blame in Spain

Feijóo, leader of the Partido Popular, visited Ceuta on Saturday and described the event as a "premeditated occupation" and an "unprecedented occupation of Spanish territory." He accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of a "triple failure" in migration, security, and foreign policy, and asserted, without producing evidence, that the government had known what was coming since the beginning of that week.

What has happened here is not just another incident: it is a premeditated and unprecedented occupation of Spanish territory.

Feijóo also criticized the belated installation of a 500-meter maritime barrier as "ridiculous," asking why buoys were not deployed earlier. Vox leader Santiago Abascal called Sánchez a "traitor" and "mafioso." Both parties avoided blaming Morocco, instead focusing on Sánchez's recent regularization decree and a Supreme Court ruling that limits hot returns for those entering by sea.

If now the buoys are valid, why weren't they put much earlier?

European dimension

The crisis has amplified a broader European right-wing narrative against Sánchez, the only social democrat leading a major EU country. European leaders indirectly blamed Spain's regularization policy for acting as a magnet. Sánchez responded by sending a letter to Brussels denouncing the "selfishness" of some partners. Feijóo said he had shared his concerns with "distinct European leaders."

Government response and prior warnings

The government announced the installation of the maritime barrier on Saturday, a move Feijóo dismissed as too late. The PP had been warning since February about border vulnerabilities. In the first 45 days of 2026, Ceuta registered 962 irregular entries (triple the 2025 figure), including 168 minors and eight deaths. PP senator Cristina Díaz confronted Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on February 12, calling the situation "unbearable" and noting that police were understaffed. Marlaska defended the government's record and called the emergency "temporary."

Historical parallel

The crisis echoes the May 2021 incident when between 8,000 and 10,000 people entered Ceuta over some 48 hours, an event linked to Spain's treatment of Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali. That episode led to a shift in Spain's Western Sahara policy and a change in foreign minister. Feijóo noted that after 2021, no effective measures were taken until now, when 60,000 entered. He insisted that "Spain's territorial integrity is not negotiated, it is defended" and that "those who have occupied Ceuta must leave."

Spain's territorial integrity is not negotiated, it is defended. Those who have occupied Ceuta must leave.