Spain's opposition demands military response after 50,000 migrants cross into Ceuta, over 70 dead

Three days after tens of thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco, the Spanish government faces a political firestorm as opposition parties accuse it of negligence and demand a military response. Morocco's government has maintained a near-total silence on the events, which left more than 70 people dead in the waters off the Tarajal border.

The crossing and the death toll

On 30 July, a mass of migrants estimated by the Spanish government at 50,000 people crossed the border at Castillejos into Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city of roughly 90,000 inhabitants. The PP puts the figure higher. More than 70 people drowned attempting the crossing, according to Spanish authorities. The Moroccan government has not commented on the deaths, the border breach, or the conduct of its security forces, who witnesses say stood by as the crossing unfolded.

Information on the number of dead, rescues, crossings and returns comes essentially from Spanish authorities and media.

The PPS, successor to Morocco's Communist Party, issued the first political reaction from within Morocco, blaming the exodus on failed economic, employment and education policies. It cited 4 million young Moroccans aged 15 to 35 who neither study nor work. Moroccan digital outlet Le Desk noted that a World Bank report from April 2026 found Morocco had failed to create the 215,000 jobs needed annually between 2000 and 2024 to stabilise its employment rate.

PP accuses government of foreknowledge

PP secretary-general Miguel Tellado stated on Sunday that the government knew the crossing was coming and did not act. He pointed to a public warning issued on Monday by Ceuta's president Juan Jesús Vivas.

We cannot believe that our country's intelligence services did not detect a human tide of between 60 and 80 thousand people heading to enter Ceuta illegally.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied any prior intelligence, stating on Saturday that no report had indicated an event of this scale could occur. PP deputy secretary Elías Bendodo accused the government of projecting a false image of normality, claiming hundreds of migrants were still on the streets and beaches of Ceuta on Sunday. He criticised Sánchez for remaining on holiday in Lanzarote.

Vox calls for permanent border militarisation

Vox leader Santiago Abascal, speaking from Ceuta's Plaza de África, demanded the permanent militarisation of the border and the closure of the crossing point until Morocco provides guarantees against a repeat. He characterised the event as an invasion and an act of war tolerated by Sánchez.

Why has Morocco dared to do this? Because it knew there would be no response, no reprisal of any kind. And why is there no reprisal? Because Sánchez is submissive to Morocco.

Abascal referenced a statement by US President Donald Trump attributing the crisis to weak laws and poor management, adding that in his view Trump's assessment fell short. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso called the crossing an intolerable invasion and a test by Morocco for future actions, warning that Spain is increasingly isolated and that the images compromise the security and order of the entire continent.

The minors question and coalition politics

Tellado rejected the government's indication that Spain's autonomous communities should take in unaccompanied minors from Ceuta, whose reception facilities are saturated. He insisted all who entered illegally must be returned to Morocco immediately. Asked about future coalition prospects with Vox, Tellado said the PP would reach agreements with ideologically close parties without embarrassment if it falls short of an absolute majority.

Morocco's silence

Rabat has issued no statement through the prime minister's office, the foreign ministry or the interior ministry. Only left-wing political forces and some progressive media have broken the silence. The PPS demanded the government abandon its mutism and linked the exodus to inequality in the distribution of wealth across social classes and territories, with legislative elections less than two months away.