Updated July 31, 2026 — Spain’s Interior Ministry now estimates that about 50,000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco beginning Thursday. Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas gave a higher estimate of 60,000. The two figures have not been reconciled, so Genuine Update is attributing both rather than presenting either as a final count.

The Interior Ministry said 37,500 people had returned to Morocco voluntarily by Friday, with more continuing to leave. The Associated Press reported that many migrants described overcrowding and a lack of shelter or work as reasons for turning back.

The reported death toll rose to 57. Authorities and witnesses said some people drowned while others were killed in a stampede near the Tarajal breakwater. The scale of the loss remains subject to official identification and confirmation.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta and called the breach a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity. He blamed smuggling networks for spreading a misleading interpretation of a recent Supreme Court ruling on sea arrivals. Rights advocates cited by AP questioned whether most migrants would have known about that ruling.

Spain deployed military personnel and additional police. Morocco’s ambassador said the surge happened against Morocco’s wishes, while Morocco’s Interior Ministry had not publicly confirmed Spain’s arrival figures when AP reported.

Sources: Associated Press, July 31, 2026: apnews.com source ↗ El País live reporting, July 31, 2026: elpais.com source ↗ Spanish Interior Ministry migration data portal: interior.gob.es source ↗