Ceuta tells EU 3,000 to 5,000 migrants remain after mass crossing, centers near collapse

Mass crossing and aftermath

More than 70,000 people crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on 30 and 31 July, in what Ceuta's president Juan Jesús Vivas Lara called the most difficult moment in the city's history. The vast majority were voluntarily returned in the days that followed, with nearly 75,000 people repatriated, according to Vivas. However, between 3,000 and 5,000 of those who entered during those two days remain in the enclave, Vivas told the European Parliament's LIBE committee on 6 August. The AGI news agency cited the remaining figure as 3,500. Vivas said the massive repatriation significantly alleviated the trauma but does not allow anyone to claim a return to normality.

Ceuta's appeal to the EU

Vivas addressed the extraordinary session of the LIBE committee, convened during the August recess, and asked for reinforced personnel and material resources at the border with Morocco, which he described as the border of everyone. He warned that migrant centers for adults and minors are in a state of collapse, producing a humanitarian emergency of enormous scale, alongside public order disturbances and a high risk of insecurity and damage. He said the mood among Ceuta's citizens is deeply affected.

Our population feels sad, powerless, restless, frightened and worried. And it has reason to be, because it is inevitable to ask whether this will not happen again and whether the next time will be the definitive one for falling into the abyss.

Vivas asked the European Parliament to state clearly that what happened should not be treated as a simple migration crisis but as a threat to the territorial integrity of Ceuta, Spain, and the European Union, and to urge other EU institutions to draw lessons from the events.

EU response and disinformation concerns

The European Commission confirmed that Spain has committed to repatriating the remaining migrants and expects that work to continue, offering its support. Commission spokesperson Arianna Podetà said the possibility of redistributing migrants through the solidarity pool was, at this stage, in the realm of speculation. She added that it is not for the Commission to tell national authorities what they need and how to help. An Austrian EU commissioner noted that thanks to special Schengen border code rules for Ceuta, the integrity of the Schengen area was fully preserved, with no one able to travel to mainland Spain or other member states, though the situation has caused considerable concern among citizens across Europe.

The Commission also reported that foreign information manipulation and interference channels, particularly Russian ones, including state-controlled media, diplomatic channels, and state-aligned sources, rapidly amplified the situation from 30 July, though no such activity was detected in the preceding days. The Commission said it will continue cooperating with member states, platforms, and competent authorities to assess the situation, especially regarding disinformation.

Political controversy and fears of a new wave

The parliamentary session sparked controversy over the absence of Spanish government ministers. LIBE committee president Javier Zarzalejos called the failure of Migration Minister Elma Saiz Delgado and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to appear profoundly deplorable. Vivas separately expressed anguish about what could happen on 15 August, given social media appeals for a new wave of crossings. Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier confirmed that attention remains high before, during, and after that date.