Ceuta migrant crisis deepens as leader calls for detention centre

Spain is facing mounting pressure over the migrant crisis in Ceuta after tens of thousands crossed from Morocco last month. The enclave’s leader is calling for a detention centre, while Madrid insists border controls and security measures remain firmly in place.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares met with Ceuta’s leader Tuesday, nearly two weeks after an unprecedented influx saw around 72,000 migrants cross the border from Morocco on July 30 and 31.

Albares said the integrity of the Schengen area remained protected in Ceuta and neighbouring Melilla.

“The integrity of the Schengen area is fully guaranteed in Ceuta and Melilla,” he said.

He also called for greater European support for the two Spanish enclaves, arguing that their particular social and economic circumstances should be taken into account.

Thousands remain in the enclave

Spanish government figures indicate that around 70,000 migrants have since returned to Morocco.

But thousands remain in Ceuta, including hundreds of unaccompanied children who cannot simply be deported.

Local authorities say the influx has placed severe pressure on the enclave’s ability to provide food, water, shelter and sanitation.

Ceuta’s population of around 84,000 has been left grappling with a crisis that has also fuelled growing political tensions.

Ceuta leader demands detention centre

Ceuta’s conservative Popular Party leader Juan Jesus Vivas has called for the urgent creation of a detention facility for migrants awaiting removal.

“A space that acts as an internment centre for foreigners must be set up, where these people can be held and remain confined,” Vivas said.

He described the situation as “unsustainable” and said keeping migrants off the streets would allow authorities to process expulsion procedures more quickly.

Vivas estimates that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain in the enclave, significantly higher than the central government’s estimate of around 2,500.

Political tensions mount

The fate of those remaining has become a political flashpoint between Spain’s left-wing central government and regions controlled by the conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox.

The regional authorities have resisted taking in additional unaccompanied migrant children under existing legal arrangements, adding to tensions over how the crisis should be managed.

Thousands of Ceuta residents protested on Sunday, voicing anger over what they described as an overwhelmed and increasingly insecure territory.

Madrid boosts security

The Spanish government says it has responded by increasing police and military deployments in the enclave.

Minister for relations with Spain’s regions Angel Victor Torres said security personnel had been reinforced, including a 40 percent increase in Civil Guard numbers.

Torres said reuniting unaccompanied children with their families remained the government’s priority, without referring to possible expulsions.

Wider European tensions

The migrant influx has also triggered diplomatic repercussions beyond Spain.

Italy imposed border checks on travellers arriving from Spain following the crisis, prompting Madrid to introduce similar measures in a tit-for-tat response.

Albares’ visit comes as Spain seeks greater European backing while Ceuta struggles to cope with the migrants still on its territory.

The immediate challenge is balancing border security and immigration enforcement with the legal obligations surrounding unaccompanied minors and the humanitarian needs of those who remain.