Over 1,500 migrants reach Spain's Ceuta enclave, local leader calls it a humanitarian crisis
More than 1,500 people have crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave in little over a week, overwhelming reception centres and prompting an urgent appeal to Madrid for a state of emergency.
Surge in arrivals
On 29 July alone, over 800 Moroccan and Algerian nationals tried to swim to Ceuta, according to Spanish news agency EFE. Most were turned back by Moroccan patrol boats, but Spain's Maritime Rescue Service and Red Cross pulled 117 people from the water, while the Civil Guard assisted another 200. Two bodies were recovered during the operation.
Estimates of the total number who have reached Ceuta in recent days vary: EFE reports between 1,500 and 2,000, while public broadcaster TVE puts the figure at 2,000 to 3,000. Local authorities say more than 1,500 people have entered the enclave illegally in just over a week, not counting the latest incidents. Videos circulating in Spanish media show large groups running into the city after crossing the border.
Reception centres overwhelmed
The temporary reception centre (CETI) has a maximum capacity of 512 places, all of them now occupied. Hundreds of people are sleeping outdoors.
We are dealing with an absolutely critical humanitarian and social situation.
Vivas, head of the local government, said facilities for unaccompanied minors are operating at 2,400 percent of their maximum capacity. He also noted roughly 60 bodies had been found off the Ceuta coast in the past twelve months, likely people who died attempting the sea crossing.
- Over 800 migrants attempt to swim from Castillejos; 117 rescued, 200 assisted, two bodies found.
- Vivas reports 1,500+ arrivals in 10 days, CETI full, minors' facility at 2,400% capacity; asks for state of emergency — Interior Ministry says no.
- Interior Minister Grande-Marlaska to visit Ceuta.
Political response and tensions
Vivas called on the central government to declare a state of emergency, establish a single state-level command, and deploy the army. The Interior Ministry rejected a state of emergency, saying it was not provided for in cases of a migratory crisis, but insisted sufficient resources were in place to guarantee security, border control and humanitarian aid.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska described the events as an "extraordinary, exceptional situation" and is expected in Ceuta on Friday, 31 July. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on social media that the government was fully committed to an immediate response, mobilising resources and cooperating with Moroccan and international authorities.
Comparison to May 2021
Several outlets drew parallels with May 2021, when more than 8,000 people crossed into Ceuta in two days. That episode followed a diplomatic row after Spain admitted Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali for medical treatment, and Morocco was accused of relaxing border controls. This time the Interior Minister stressed that cooperation with Rabat is close and based on mutual loyalty.
Broader migration context
The surge comes after a July Supreme Court ruling that people arriving by sea cannot be immediately sent back without due process. Omar Naji of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in eastern Morocco questioned whether the ruling had any real impact, suggesting most potential migrants might not even be aware of it.
Separately, the International Organization for Migration reported that a boat carrying around 200 people from Senegal to the Canary Islands was found after drifting for 25 days off Mauritania; 56 survived and at least 144 were confirmed dead or missing.
