“We are trapped here, unable to go home”: the desperation of the thousands of migrants who crossed the border between Morocco and Spain through Ceuta

Around 60,000 migrants have entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco by land and sea, resulting in at least 34 deaths and triggering a major crisis within the European Union. Spain has characterized the mass arrival as an "attack to territorial integrity," while the military has taken control of the border.

In the aftermath of the crossings, thousands of migrants remain stranded in Ceuta without food or places to go, expressing desperation about being unable to return home. Meanwhile, the National Police and Local Police have increased their presence in the streets and neighborhoods of the city to locate groups of migrants who are refusing voluntary return to Morocco.

This event marks the largest migration crisis recorded in Spain since a previous influx into Ceuta in May 2021, during which approximately 12,000 people entered the autonomous city over a two-day period.