Spanish police deploy floating barrier in Ceuta amid migrant surge

Spanish authorities have initiated the installation of a 500-meter floating barrier along the maritime border with Morocco in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. This measure follows a significant influx of migrants, with approximately 50,000 people crossing into Ceuta by land and sea since Thursday. While over 48,000 have since returned to Morocco, the situation has prompted heightened security measures.

The new barrier, anchored to the Tarajal breakwater, one of the main access points for migrants, rises between 30 and 70 centimeters above the water and extends one meter below. Spanish Civil Guard vessels will patrol the area. Reports indicate that at least 67 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the border, with many deaths attributed to drowning or crushing injuries sustained while attempting to scale sea walls and border fences.

The mass arrival of migrants was partly fueled by rumors circulating on social media. In response to the crisis, 22 EU member states have called for an urgent meeting of interior ministers to discuss the situation in Ceuta and to coordinate a response. Ireland, holding the EU presidency, has convened this meeting. The signatories of the call for a meeting urged a coordinated response, including potential additional support from the European border agency Frontex and a reassessment of cooperation with Morocco. Notably, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and Ireland did not sign this letter.

Spain has generally maintained a more open stance towards migrants compared to other European countries, implementing a program to grant residency permits to over half a million undocumented individuals. However, Spain has rejected claims that this regularization program spurred the influx into Ceuta, clarifying that applicants must prove residency before January 1, 2026, and five months of continuous stay prior to application. The government's deployment of the floating barrier signals a firming of its border control policy in the face of this migratory pressure.