How the storming of Ceuta shifts Europe to the right

August 1, 2026 — 5:00am

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The sight of at least 50,000 migrants storming into Spanish territory is certain to harden opinions about migration in Europe when the political right is on the rise with calls for tougher border controls.

The astonishing images are being likened to an “invasion” of Spain as people flee Morocco in the hope of settling in Europe, even though the migrants have only reached the tiny enclave of Ceuta on the northern coast of Africa.

While none have reached the European mainland, there is an urgent argument about how to stop some of them taking this next step – and national leaders are blaming Spain for being too weak on borders.

First, some facts. The new arrivals did not have an automatic right to transfer to the rest of Spain, so many of them faced a long wait in Ceuta with an uncertain future. Some returned home, although the numbers are contested. The mayor-president of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, said 60,000 rushed over the border. The national government said it was about 50,000.

By the end of Friday – early on Saturday, AEST – the Spanish Interior Ministry claimed that almost all the arrivals had returned.

Problem solved? No. This was a total breakdown at the border, with no capacity to count the arrivals, let alone check their passports. What stood out was the utter chaos.

And that is what will keep feeding the deep anxiety about border security and the serious argument about the scale of migration.

Donald Trump is already using the viral images for his own purposes. “It’s terrible,” the US president said.........

© The Sydney Morning Herald