The escalating crisis in Ceuta has plunged the left-wing minority government in Madrid into a significant turmoil. Just under four weeks after a massive surge of migrants from Morocco, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has returned from his summer vacation in the North African enclave and has decided to take decisive action. Following accusations from the conservative leader of the enclave that Madrid has "abandoned" Ceuta, the central government has executed a sudden shift in strategy, assuming control of the situation.
For weeks, government ministers in Madrid had given the impression that the remaining migrants would return home on their own, similar to more than 70,000 individuals who had largely swum to Spain at the end of July and voluntarily returned to Morocco. Now, the National Security Council has declared a "situation of national security interest" for Ceuta during a special session. Following a cabinet decision, Territorial Minister Ángel Víctor Torres has been appointed to oversee all crisis management efforts. Supported by a committee consisting of eleven ministers and representatives from the regional government of Ceuta, Torres is tasked with restoring "full normalcy" as quickly as possible.
This unification of command had been demanded by the regional president of Ceuta and the conservative People's Party (PP) to which he belongs 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 in front of a parliamentary committee, apologizing to all those in Ceuta who may have felt "abandoned or insufficiently supported." She affirmed that the government stands by their side and shares in their suffering. Six additional ministers will address Parliament in a communication offensive by Monday, with Sánchez scheduled to follow on September 3.
Immigration as a Pivotal Election Issue
Amid the ongoing loss of control in Ceuta, internal political pressure is mounting on Sánchez's left-wing minority government, which has made the most liberal migration policy in Europe its hallmark. With the ongoing mass legalization initiatives, the government promotes integration over isolation. As reported by El País on Wednesday, immigration will be the decisive topic for winning the next elections, which must take place by summer 2027.
The opposition PP has criticized the government for its "failure" in migration and security policy, amidst the so-called "invasion" in Ceuta. They are calling for stricter border controls and seeking to make the legalization of foreigners in Spain more challenging. According to the state observatory on racism and xenophobia, the migration crisis in Ceuta has resulted in a dramatic surge of over 3,000 xenophobic hate messages online per day.
New government coordinator Torres has stated that repatriating migrants from Morocco is a priority for the government. The PP demands that all migrants return, including unaccompanied minors and potential asylum seekers. Torres has dismissed this demand as populist, asserting that such actions are not legally permissible.
Unclear Migrant Numbers in Ceuta
As of today, the central government is unable to provide reliable figures regarding the number of migrants, minors, and asylum seekers currently in Ceuta since the end of July. The regional government estimates about 10,000 individuals residing in the city of 84,000 inhabitants. Madrid emphasizes that 90 to 95 percent of the more than 70,000 people who arrived in Ceuta have voluntarily returned to Morocco.
According to Minister Torres, over 1,400 minors have been registered so far. However, Economic Minister Carlos Cuerpo indicates that 2,900 children and adolescents have already been identified. Approximately 1,800 adults have been accommodated in two military tent camps since Friday. About 4,000 individuals are receiving humanitarian aid, which is becoming increasingly critical as the first cases of scabies and tuberculosis have been reported.
A collective deportation is legally impossible without individual case assessments. However, authorities are not prepared to handle thousands of cases, having struggled to even remove people from the streets. Several sports stadiums are now proposed for use as temporary accommodations. For unaccompanied minors, medical assessments are often needed to determine age, followed by detailed individual reports. Before any repatriation to Morocco, it must be proven that responsible guardians are present, and another report must confirm that these guardians do not pose a threat to the minors and that they do not fear persecution, which would be grounds for asylum.
According to the latest available data from the public prosecutor's office, around 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—none have been sent back to Morocco since 2021. Following the last significant surge in Ceuta five years ago, several hundred minors were returned to Morocco, a move later deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.
As reported by faz.net.
