About 1,500 migrants have crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in the past week, according to Israeli media. Ceuta's Prime Minister Juan Jesús Vivas warns that reception centers have collapsed, with minors' facilities operating at 2,400% capacity. The enclave fears a repeat of the 2021 crisis when 10,000 entered in days.
The Spanish enclave of Ceuta is facing a humanitarian and security emergency after approximately 1,500 migrants swam from Morocco to its shores over the past week, according to Ceuta Prime Minister Juan Jesús Vivas. Vivas warned that reception centers have collapsed, with underage facilities operating at 2,400% of capacity, and the average arrival rate of 300 per day has raised fears of a repeat of the 2021 crisis, when 10,000 migrants entered in days.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today (Thursday), the situation escalated rapidly throughout the afternoon. At 14:00 Jerusalem, initial reports indicated hundreds of migrants swimming across the border. Within the same hour, reports escalated to thousands storming the border, and the governor of Ceuta declared a 'humanitarian and social emergency' after confirming over 1,500 arrivals by sea, with reception facilities for unaccompanied minors at 2,400% capacity. New reports of migrants besieging the enclave followed, and the scale was updated to thousands crossing. The current figures from Prime Minister Vivas confirm the earlier numbers and underscore the collapse of reception centers.
The crisis comes amid a broader migration challenge in Spain. As The Zioneer reported on June 30, Spain received 1.3 million applications from undocumented migrants for its mass regularization program, more than double expectations. The current influx in Ceuta revives memories of the 2021 crisis when 10,000 migrants entered in days. A recent Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the immediate return of migrants arriving by sea complicates the authorities' response, as noted by the governor.
It remains unclear whether the number of arrivals will continue to escalate toward the 2021 levels. The long-term capacity of the enclave to absorb the migrants, and the response of the Spanish national government, remain uncertain.
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