The ongoing turmoil in Ceuta is plunging the leftist minority government in Madrid into a significant crisis. Just weeks after a massive influx of migrants from Morocco, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is now compelled to take decisive action following his return from a summer vacation in the North African exclave. Confronted with accusations from the conservative regional leader of Ceuta that Madrid has "abandoned" the city, the central government has abruptly shifted its strategy and assumed control of the situation.
For weeks, officials in Madrid appeared to believe that the remaining migrants would voluntarily return home, similar to the over 70,000 individuals who swam to Spain at the end of July and subsequently returned to Morocco. However, the National Security Council convened an emergency meeting and declared a "situation of interest for national security" in Ceuta. Following a cabinet decision, Territorial Minister Ángel Víctor Torres has been assigned responsibility for crisis management, with the objective of restoring "full normality" as swiftly as possible, supported by a committee consisting of eleven ministers and representatives from Ceuta's regional government.
This consolidation of command has been a demand from Ceuta's regional president and the conservative People's Party (PP) since late July. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of demonstrators in Ceuta accused the Madrid government of having "abandoned" their city. Defense Minister Robles admitted to shortcomings during a parliamentary committee meeting, extending apologies to those in Ceuta who may have felt "neglected or inadequately supported." She emphasized that the government stands by their side, sharing in their suffering. Six additional ministers are expected to address Parliament as part of a communication offensive by Monday, followed by Sánchez on September 3rd.
With the ongoing loss of control in Ceuta, internal political pressure is mounting on Sánchez's leftist minority government, which has prided itself on having the most liberal immigration policy in Europe. The current mass legalization efforts emphasize integration over isolation. According to El País, immigration is anticipated to be the pivotal issue in the upcoming elections, which must take place by summer 2027.
The opposition PP accuses the government of failing in its migration and security policies amidst the "invasion" in Ceuta, calling for stricter border controls and a more challenging process for the legalization of foreigners in Spain. The migration crisis has reportedly led to a surge in xenophobic hate speech online, with more than 3,000 incidents per day as noted by the national observatory for racism and xenophobia.
According to the new government coordinator Torres, repatriating migrants back to Morocco has become a priority for the government. The PP insists that all individuals must return, including unaccompanied minors and potential asylum seekers. Torres dismisses this demand as populist, asserting that such actions are not legally feasible.
As of now, the central government cannot provide reliable figures regarding the number of migrants, minors, and asylum seekers currently in Ceuta since late July. The regional government estimates around 10,000 individuals are present in a city of 84,000 residents. Madrid highlights that 90 to 95 percent of the over 70,000 who arrived in Ceuta have voluntarily returned to Morocco.
Minister Torres reported that approximately 1,400 minors have been registered, while Economic Minister Carlos Cuerpo stated that 2,900 children and adolescents have been identified. About 1,800 adults have been housed in two military tent camps since Friday, and around 4,000 are receiving humanitarian aid, which is becoming increasingly critical due to emerging cases of scabies and tuberculosis.
Collective expulsions are legally impossible without individual case assessments, yet authorities are unprepared for thousands of cases, having struggled to even remove individuals from the streets. Several sports stadiums are being repurposed to assist in this regard. For minors, age verification often requires medical determination, followed by detailed individual reports. Prior to repatriation to Morocco, guardians must be confirmed, and another report is needed to ensure there is no danger to the minors and that they do not fear persecution, which would justify asylum claims.
As per the latest figures from the Public Prosecutor's Office, more than 16,000 unaccompanied minors were residing in Spain by the end of 2024. Four were repatriated to Colombia, three to Romania, and one to France, but none have been sent back to Morocco since 2021. Following the last major surge in Ceuta five years ago, several hundred minors were returned to Morocco, but this was later deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.
As reported by faz.net.
