Absolute emergency – we are unable to cope

Authorities in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the coast of Morocco, are calling on the Spanish government in Madrid to declare a state of national emergency and involve the army in border security, following an unprecedented wave of thousands of migrants entering the enclave.

In recent hours, social media has been flooded with videos of thousands of migrants, showing extensive documentation of the moments of crossing and the arrival of the masses in the enclave. In recent days, thousands of migrants, mostly young men from Morocco, but also families with women and children, have crossed the border into the European Union. Many of them have reached the enclave by swimming around the breakwaters or climbing the border fences on the coast of Terajal, overwhelming security forces and local humanitarian infrastructure.

Juan Jesús Vivas, president of the regional government in Ceuta, described the situation as “a complete humanitarian and social emergency on a national scale.” Vivas reported that in just ten days, between 1,500 and 2,000 people had arrived, equivalent to about 2 percent of the enclave’s total population. With reception facilities completely full and centers for unaccompanied minors operating at an unprecedented 2,400 percent occupancy, local authorities warned that they were struggling: “We cannot cope with this pressure alone. With each passing hour, the situation becomes more difficult.” Hundreds of migrants who had recently arrived were forced to spend the night on the streets, outside the city’s temporary reception center for migrants.

The current escalation is reminiscent of the severe border crisis of May 2021, when more than 8,000 migrants crossed the border into Ceuta in just two days. The current wave of migration follows a ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court that ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla should not be immediately returned, contrary to normal procedures applied at land borders.

In response to the urgent appeals, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government in Madrid was “fully committed to providing an immediate response,” adding: “We are mobilizing all the necessary resources, working with the Moroccan authorities and international bodies, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normality as soon as possible. This is the time to build solutions, with responsibility and cooperation.” The Spanish Interior Ministry announced that several ministries were “working in coordination to respond with the utmost speed and quality,” and that Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlesca would travel to the enclave to closely monitor the situation. It also noted that Moroccan security forces were working “loyally and regularly with Spain” to prevent further migrants from reaching the border.

The event comes against the backdrop of the immigration policy that is stirring up Spain, with the government in Madrid only recently approving a broad move to regularize the status of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants already in the country, with the aim of granting them legal residency and work permits and integrating them into the labor market and welfare systems. While the government explains the move by demographic need and a shortage of workers in the construction, agriculture and tourism sectors, opposition parties have sharply criticized the initiative. Now political figures are warning that the move is creating a large-scale “pull effect,” encouraging thousands of additional immigrants to try and enter Spanish territory illegally.

The recent events highlight the sensitive situation of Ceuta, a coastal enclave located at the tip of North Africa on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. The city, known for its centuries-old royal walls, duty-free shopping boulevards, Mediterranean climate and unique cultural blend between Europe and North Africa, routinely attracts tourists seeking to visit its historical sites and coastal resorts. Now, business owners and local tourism industry officials are expressing concern about the impact of border congestion and the humanitarian crisis on the city’s image as a bustling tourist and commercial destination.