The escalating chaos in Ceuta has plunged the leftist minority government in Madrid into a significant crisis. Just weeks after a massive influx of migrants from Morocco, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has returned from his summer holiday in the North African enclave and is now taking decisive action. Following accusations from the conservative leader of Ceuta that Madrid had effectively 'abandoned' the city, the central government has swiftly decided to implement a strategic overhaul, reclaiming control over the situation.
For weeks, ministers in Madrid had conveyed the impression that the remaining migrants would voluntarily return home, similar to the more than 70,000 individuals who had predominantly swum to Spain in late July and subsequently returned to Morocco. However, the National Security Council convened for a special session and declared a 'situation of interest for national security' in Ceuta. In light of a cabinet resolution, Territorial Minister Ángel Víctor Torres has been entrusted with the complete crisis management. Supported by a committee comprising eleven ministers and representatives from the regional government of Ceuta, Torres aims to restore 'full normalcy' as swiftly as possible.
This streamlining of command was a demand from the regional president of Ceuta and the conservative People's Party (PP), of which he is a member, since late July. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of demonstrators in Ceuta accused the Madrid government of having 'abandoned' their city. Defense Minister Robles acknowledged shortcomings before a parliamentary committee, apologizing to the residents of Ceuta who may have felt 'neglected or insufficiently supported.' She assured them that the government stands by their side and shares in their suffering. Six additional ministers will participate in a communication offensive, providing answers to parliament by Monday, with Sánchez expected to follow on September 3.
Immigration: A Pivotal Issue for Upcoming Elections
Amid the ongoing loss of control in Ceuta, internal political pressure is mounting on Sánchez's leftist minority government, which has made Europe's most liberal migration policy its hallmark. The current mass regularization efforts reflect a strategy focused on integration rather than isolation. According to the newspaper El País, which reported on Wednesday, 'immigration will be the decisive issue in winning the upcoming elections,' referring to the parliamentary elections that must take place by summer 2027.
The opposition PP has been critical of the government’s handling of the 'invasion' in Ceuta, labeling it a failure of their migration and security policies. They are calling for stricter border controls and seek to complicate the legalization processes for foreigners in Spain. The migration crisis in Ceuta has reportedly led to a surge in xenophobic hate messages online, with over 3,000 incidents daily, as noted by the national observatory for racism and xenophobia.
New government coordinator Torres has stated that the repatriation of migrants from Morocco is now a top priority for the government. The PP insists that all individuals return, including unaccompanied minors and potential asylum seekers. Torres has dismissed this demand as populist, arguing that such actions are not legally feasible.
Unreliable Migrant Statistics in Ceuta
To date, the central government has been unable to provide accurate statistics regarding the number of migrants, minors, and asylum seekers currently in Ceuta since the end of July. The regional government estimates around 10,000 individuals in the city, which has a population of 84,000. However, officials in Madrid emphasize that 90 to 95 percent of the over 70,000 people who arrived in Ceuta have voluntarily returned to Morocco.
Minister Torres reported that approximately 1,400 minors have been registered thus far, although Economic Minister Carlos Cuerpo stated that 2,900 children and adolescents have already been identified. Around 1,800 adults have been accommodated in military tent camps since Friday, with about 4,000 receiving humanitarian assistance, which is increasingly critical due to the emergence of cases of scabies and tuberculosis.
A mass expulsion is legally impossible without individual case reviews, and authorities are currently unprepared for thousands of cases, having been unable to even remove individuals from the streets. Several sports stadiums are now set to be utilized for this purpose. For minors, medical assessments must often determine their age, followed by detailed individual reports. Furthermore, guardians must be verified before their return to Morocco, ensuring no danger is posed to them and that they do not face persecution, which would be grounds for asylum.
According to the latest available figures from the Attorney General's office, over 16,000 unaccompanied minors were in Spain by the end of 2024. Four were repatriated to Colombia, three to Romania, and one to France – yet none have returned to Morocco since 2021. Following the last major influx to Ceuta five years ago, several hundred minors were sent back to Morocco, a move later deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.
As reported by faz.net.
