Italy suspends Schengen agreement with Spain after 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco

Jul 31, 2026

A massive border crisis erupted as approximately 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, leaving at least 57 dead. The surge was triggered after human traffickers misrepresented a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that limits summary deportations at sea. In response, Italy suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain for one month to conduct targeted checks, while France tightened its border controls. Spain deployed its military to restore order, and by late July 31, 2026, more than 48,000 migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco.

Ceuta border incursion

▪Approximately 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta starting on July 30, 2026.
▪Spain deployed its armed forces, specialized police, and military assets to bolster security in Ceuta and Melilla following the border breach.

Supreme Court migration ruling

▪Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed human trafficking networks for triggering the surge by spreading a self-serving misinterpretation of the Supreme Court ruling.
▪A Spanish Supreme Court ruling in July 2026 established that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to Morocco.

Death toll humanitarian crisis

▪Local officials and humanitarian workers described the situation in Ceuta as a serious humanitarian crisis, with thousands of migrants sleeping on streets and beaches.
▪At least 57 people died during the border crossing attempt, with some drowning and others killed in a stampede at a breakwater barrier near Tarajal Beach.

Italy Schengen suspension

▪Italy suspended the Schengen border-free arrangements with Spain for one month starting August 1, 2026, in response to the Ceuta migrant surge.
▪Italy's Schengen suspension involves targeted checks on non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air or sea, without affecting Spanish or other EU citizens.

EU member state responses

▪France tightened border checks and deployed additional law enforcement officers along its land border with Spain following the Ceuta crisis.
▪European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the scenes in Ceuta unacceptable and demanded that dangerous crossings stop immediately.

Migrant repatriation to Morocco

▪By the evening of July 31, 2026, Spanish officials estimated that more than 48,000 migrants had voluntarily returned from Ceuta to Morocco.
▪Moroccan security forces co-operated with Spanish authorities to facilitate returns and used water cannons, tear gas, and warning shots to disperse crowds at the border.