SEVILLE, Spain — When Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stood in front of the media on Friday in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave bordering Morocco, he followed a routine that he has spent years perfecting: rally his supporters, then reclaim control of the narrative.
By Saturday morning, the Spanish government had declared the situation under control, with the army mobilized in the region and the installation of a 500-meter floating barrier off its border with Morocco.
Sánchez sent a letter to European counterparts calling some of them out for "attacking Spain."
But the damage was already done: images of tens of thousands of migrants crossing into Spanish territory from Morocco went around the world, eliciting comments from anti-immigration foreign leaders.
U.S. President Trump called the crossing of migrants into Ceuta a "catastrophe" and an "invasion," blaming what he called "weak" and "very liberal" laws in Spain. The U.S. State Department even posted on social media blaming the crisis on Sánchez's migration-friendly policies.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said the crisis in Spain showed the "threat" irregular migration presents to European security and even temporarily suspended Italy's open-border Schengen agreement with Spain, reimposing border controls for air and sea for travelers coming from the country.
In Spain, Sánchez's political opponents also seized on the opportunity.
The far-right VOX party, which has increased its presence in the Spanish parliament in recent years on an anti-immigration platform, reacted to the incident by calling for the militarization of the border, and the immediate deportation of all migrants who crossed, including minors. The center-right opposition party Partido Popular also called on the government to declare a national emergency, close the borders, and mobilize the army.
The developments come at a challenging time for Sánchez, whose government has been consumed by the response to wildfires that have been devastating the country, including some of the largest on record.
Sánchez is a savvy media player. In crisis after crisis — from the COVID-19 pandemic and the deadly 2024 floods in Valencia to the country's blackout in 2025 and the present day wildfires — he has managed to survive attacks from political opponents and stay ahead of the narrative.
Spaniards even joke about his capacity to handle one crisis after another: "the only thing left is an alien invasion."
The reasons behind the sudden increase in border crossings are unclear
What started as a moderate increase in the number of border crossings at the Spanish territory of Ceuta turned into an open crisis on Thursday. Nearly 60,000 crossed the border in a matter of days. Authorities are reporting at least 67 people died, most of them drowned as they tried to swim around a breakwater that separates the two counties.
There have been previous attempts to cross the borders into Ceuta and Melilla — the other Spanish territory in the region — sometimes by charging it en masse. The last such episode in Ceuta took place in 2021, in what now is known as "the crisis of the minors," because it mostly involved children swimming to Ceuta.
Migrants attempting to cross into Ceuta often come from sub-Saharan African countries. And they might wait around these enclaves for months, even years, for the perfect opportunity to cross.
But there is something different about this latest instance: Most migrants were Moroccan, and critics allege Moroccan law enforcement were absent — even complicit — from the Moroccan side of the border at the most critical hours on Thursday, when thousands of migrants were freely crossing the border by foot, some of them women and kids, in what appeared to be a coordinated flow of people.
"I think that after almost 48 hours since the beginning of the crisis in Ceuta, we can safely say that this was a manufactured crisis," said Riccardo Fabiani, Project Director for North Africa for the International Crisis Group.
He added: "We have testimonies by some Moroccans who crossed into Ceuta. We have videos circulating online showing trucks full of people unloading them in front of the complicit Moroccan police forces."
Morocco's ambassador to Spain said the situation in Ceuta had unfolded against Morocco's wishes. "We have always prioritized legal, orderly and safe migration for all," Karima Benyaich told the Associated Press. She did not comment on what prompted the migrants to cross into Ceuta.
One possible factor for the influx is a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that eased deportation rules for migrants entering Ceuta or Melilla. The July 8 ruling prevents law enforcement from being able to deport migrants who swim into the territories, reversing a practice of deporting them on the spot without a legal process.
Some of the migrants who crossed said they read messages circulating on social media and messaging platforms about the ease of crossing the border in Ceuta, and expected to be welcomed and taken to the Spanish mainland.
Understanding Morocco's leverage
Ceuta and Melilla have been under Spanish control for centuries, but Morocco does not recognize them as Spanish territory and has repeatedly called for their return. The enclaves have been a long source of tension between Madrid and Rabat.
In 2021, that contention escalated sharply after Spain allowed Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front to enter the country for medical treatment.
The Polisario Front seeks independence for Western Sahara, a disputed territory claimed by Morocco.
For years, Spain supported a process that included the possibility of an independence referendum for the Western Sahara. But in 2022, Sánchez's government shifted course, endorsing Morocco's claims over the territory. Some observers interpreted the move as an attempt to repair relations with Rabat following the Ghali controversy.
But in another twist, Sánchez recently visited Algeria, Morocco's longtime regional rival and backer of the Polisario Front. The visit came only days before the latest events in Ceuta.
Some Spanish politicians accuse the U.S. and Israel of "exploiting" the crisis
President Trump's quick response and comments on Ceuta, along with critical comments made by Israeli politicians, has led some Spanish politicians to accuse the United States and Israel of exploiting or even encouraging the crisis.
One of them is Antonio Maíllo, general coordinator of Izquierda Unida, one of the political parties forming a government coalition with Sánchez's Socialist Party.
Speaking to the press on Friday, Maíllo accused Moroccan authorities of failing to do their job to prevent migrants crossing from their side of the border.
He went on to suggest the lapse in security may have been intentional — a form of punishment for Spain's recent tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
Noting that Morocco is a close ally of both countries, Maíllo argued that the U.S. and Israel had grown resentful of Sanchez after Spain took a clear position "against the genocide in Gaza," and refused to allowed the U.S. to use jointly operated military bases in Spanish soil for the war in Iran.
Maíllo concluded: "Nothing is a coincidence when it comes to Morocco's actions."
Relations between Spain and Israel have been tense ever since Spain emerged as one of Europe's most outspoken critics against Israel's war in Gaza. There has also been bad blood between Trump and the Spanish government. Last year, Spain refused to raise military spending to 5% of its GDP, as Trump had demanded NATO countries do.
Shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran in late February, Spain refused to allow the U.S. military to use their jointly operated military bases in the south of Spain to support the military activities.
That seemed to be the last straw for President Trump, who decided to vent about the Spanish government from the Oval Office in early March. "Spain has absolutely nothing that we need, other than great people, they have great people. But they don't have great leadership," Trump said. He threatened to cut all trade with Spain. "We don't wanna have anything to do with Spain."
Opportunity for right-wing parties
The influx of migrants into Ceuta has also allowed European right-wing parties to go on the attack. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed Italy would "not back down by a single millimetre" when it comes to preventing "illegal immigration." Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani framed the suspension of the free movement of people between his country and Spain as "a necessary choice to protect the safety of our citizens and defend the European borders," even invoking "the threat of terrorism."
On Saturday, Meloni co-initiated a letter signed by the majority of EU countries calling for an emergency meeting to discuss the border crisis in Ceuta, and take immediate action to control Europe's external borders. The letter, signed by leaders of 22 of the EU's 27 states, has turned Spain's crisis into a continent-wide argument that Sánchez's comparatively liberal migration stance has become a liability for the whole bloc.
"Uncontrolled immigration is a threat to Europe and to Denmark," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also said the EU should consider suspending Schengen cooperation with Spain.
Sánchez had indeed embraced migration-friendly policies. But he has never advocated for open borders or uncontrolled migration.
His government can back this up with data that show that the number of illegal entries into Spain are lower than those of other European countries. His government has loaned and granted millions of euros to countries in West Africa to patrol their coasts, and stop migrants from leaving. The Spanish Civil Guard has been deployed in the coasts of Senegal and Mauritania to spot vessels trying to leave the coast.
But Sánchez has been a strong supporter of regulated migration, and recently approved residency and work permits for hundreds of thousands of eligible undocumented migrants living in Spain. The government reported receiving over a million applications.
In February, Sánchez penned an op-ed in The New York Times defending his stance on regulated migration. He said Spain's economy was "booming" in part thanks to the country's embrace of migrants.
"Governments can buy into the zero-sum thinking of the far-right and retreat into isolation, scarcity, selfishness and decline," he said.
"Or they can harness the very same forces that, not without difficulties, have allowed our societies to thrive for centuries. For me, the choice is clear."
But the reality is that Sanchez has become an increasingly lone voice when it comes to his open stance on immigration in Europe. This week's events in Ceuta will test his well known resilience – and ability to stand his ground against mounting pressure.
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