Thousands of migrants still in Ceuta after border crisis, local leader says

What the report says

Ceuta’s mayor-president, Juan Jesús Vivas, says between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants are still in the Spanish enclave after last week’s sudden influx from neighbouring Morocco. Speaking to the European Parliament, he described the episode as a humanitarian crisis and said local authorities were still dealing with public-order problems and an inability to manage the numbers with available resources.

According to the BBC, Vivas said roughly 78,000 migrants entered by sea in a matter of hours, and he said 100 deaths followed the crossings. The report also says most of those who arrived have since returned to Morocco, but children remain a major challenge because repatriation requires consent. Spain’s interior ministry has said €25m has been set aside to support minors in Ceuta.

The crisis has intensified tensions between Spain and Morocco and prompted debate within the EU, especially among countries linked by open-border arrangements in the Schengen area. The European Commission has praised Spain’s response, while Vivas criticised Madrid for acting too slowly. Spanish and EU officials have suggested that social media disinformation and criminal networks may have encouraged the crossings, though the article says the exact trigger remains unclear.

Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s North African enclaves, have long been sensitive points in relations with Morocco. The BBC report says fresh online calls for another mass crossing are circulating, while authorities continue efforts to register migrants and prevent further arrivals.