Ceuta Declares Emergency After Surge in Migrant Arrivals

Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta is facing a humanitarian and security emergency after around 1,500 migrants reached the territory by swimming from Morocco over the past week. Local leader Juan Jesus Vivas said the sudden influx has overwhelmed reception facilities, with hundreds of migrants forced to sleep outdoors and shelters for unaccompanied minors operating far beyond capacity.

Vivas described the situation as a national emergency and called for an immediate, coordinated response from the Spanish government. In response, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is set to visit Ceuta to meet local authorities as the government works to strengthen border controls and expand humanitarian assistance. Moroccan security forces are also helping to reduce further arrivals.

Officials said migrant arrivals are averaging about 300 people per day, raising concerns of a repeat of the 2021 migration crisis, when nearly 10,000 people entered Ceuta within days. Vivas also highlighted the human cost of the dangerous sea crossings, noting that dozens of bodies have been recovered in recent months, and urged reforms to Spain’s immigration laws following a recent Supreme Court ruling on migrant returns.

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