Spain’s government is throwing open the floodgates.
The socialist prime minister is effectively greenlighting an African migrant invasion as local officials beg the government to declare a national emergency.
Stunning videos emerging from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday show thousands of migrants from Morocco and Algeria streaming across the border, overwhelming local authorities and prompting urgent calls for military assistance.
The scenes have drawn comparisons to some of the most chaotic moments of the U.S. southern border crisis.
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin said the footage immediately reminded him of the massive Haitian migrant surge at Del Rio, Texas, in 2021.
“This takes me back to Del Rio, TX in 2021 w/ the Haitian surge. Similar images,” Melugin wrote on X.
He added, “This is what the DSA/socialist platform looks like in practice—in another country. No borders. No immigration enforcement. Complete freedom of movement without any resistance from the government.”
Melugin later described the footage as “insane.”
“Thousands of Moroccans and Algerians breaching and overrunning the Spanish border,” he wrote. “AP reports the city has asked Madrid to declare a national emergency. Search ‘Spain Ceuta’ on X if you haven’t seen the images yet.”
The Associated Press reported that thousands of migrants entered Ceuta on Thursday by walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal Beach before spilling onto city streets.
Video from the scene showed crowds made up primarily of young men, though families with women and children were also present. Some migrants reportedly shouted, “¡Viva España!” as they entered Spanish territory.
For Ceuta’s regional government, the situation quickly escalated beyond a routine immigration challenge.
Juan Jesús Vivas, president of the autonomous city, formally urged Spain’s national government to declare a national emergency on national security grounds. He also requested additional police forces and deployment of the Spanish military to secure the frontier.
Vivas argued that reinforcements were necessary “to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety.”
But Madrid rejected the request.
Spain’s Interior Ministry refused to declare a national emergency, arguing that “immigration flows do not legally qualify as a risk to national security.”
Instead, the ministry said it would continue guaranteeing public safety and the integrity of Spain’s borders without invoking emergency powers.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez likewise attempted to reassure the public that the government had the situation under control.
“The Government of Spain is fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation in Ceuta,” Sánchez wrote on X.
“We are mobilizing all necessary resources, working with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normalcy as soon as possible. I just conveyed this to President Juan Vivas Lara.”
He concluded, “This is the moment to build solutions, with responsibility and cooperation.”
The crisis is not without precedent.
In May 2021, more than 8,000 migrants entered Ceuta over the course of just two days after Morocco relaxed border enforcement during a diplomatic dispute with Spain.
Thursday’s scenes inevitably revived memories of that episode, raising fresh questions about whether Spain has learned any lessons over the past five years.
The latest surge also arrives at a politically precarious moment for Sánchez.
His Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) has struggled in public opinion polling throughout the current legislative term, with support generally hovering in the mid-20 percent range. Sánchez’s government has also been battered by a series of corruption scandals that have fueled speculation about the durability of his coalition.
Now, the images pouring out of Ceuta threaten to intensify criticism that Spain has lost control of one of Europe’s most strategically important borders.
For local officials, the situation has already crossed into the realm of national security.
For Spain’s socialist government, however, it remains an immigration issue—not an emergency.
These are the same fools that are complaining about having too many tourists.