Spain continues to struggle with overwhelming flood of migrants from Morocco

Many of the migrants who returned to Morocco said they left because they had no food after shops closed up, and they faced hostility from locals. They were also prohibited from traveling the country freely.

Published: August 3, 2026 12:41pm

Updated: August 3, 2026 12:42pm

Hundreds of migrants are camping on a beach in Spain's North African territory of Ceuta as local authorities struggle to manage the thousands who flooded through in a border rush last week. 

Spain estimates that 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco, but initial estimates on Thursday pegged the number of migrant arrivals at 50,000, Reuters reported. Ceuta's leader, Juan Jesus Vivas, told broadcaster Telecinco that between 3000 and 5000 migrants remained in the small city, and that the migrant reception centers had "collapsed." 

Many of the migrants who returned to Morocco said they left because they had no food after shops closed up, and they faced hostility from locals. They were also prohibited from traveling the country freely. 

The official death toll on the Spanish side of the border is 72, with another 11 deaths on the Moroccan side. 

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