After a diplomatic spat with Spain in 2021, Morocco eased border controls, allowing about 8,000 people into Ceuta. A Spanish soldier guards migrants going back to Morocco after crossing the border between Spain and Morocco on July 31, 2026 in Ceuta, Spain. Some officials and analysts warn that the Ceuta case has shown EU adversaries how migration flows can stoke division in the bloc. In interviews with The Washington Post in Ceuta, several migrants said Moroccan authorities allowed them to pass unhindered. Spanish and EU officials have avoided publicly blaming Morocco, which they see as a partner on border control.