Tens of Thousands of Migrants Rush Into a Tiny Spanish Territory in One Day

About 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta — a small piece of Spain on Africa's coast — in just 24 hours, Spain said. That's more than half of Ceuta's 83,600 residents. At least 7,000 were children. Eighteen people died trying in the days before. A court ruling earlier in July 2026 had required Spain to review each person's case individually rather than sending them straight back.