Spanish authorities said Monday that hundreds of migrants from Morocco remain camped on a beach in Ceuta following last week's unprecedented border crossing, creating significant logistical and humanitarian challenges for local officials.
About 3,000 to 5,000 migrants are still in the small enclave following the mass border rush that began July 29.
Reception centers for adults and minors have filled to capacity, forcing many migrants to sleep on beaches or in public spaces while they wait for assistance or repatriation, according to authorities.
Images from the Ceuta migration surge show a chaotic scene at the Spain-Morocco border, with large groups of migrants arriving by sea and gathering near crossings, climbing fences and rushing toward border reception facilities. About 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s Ceuta territory within 24 hours.
According to the latest update provided by the government on Monday, 69,500 people have already returned to Morocco either voluntarily or through coordinated returns. 862 unaccompanied minors are being cared for by authorities, a complex situation that has created additional pressure because the children have special legal protections.
The government said it continues to work with Morocco and the European Union (EU) to manage the humanitarian response and organize further returns, while political tensions over migration policy have intensified.
Spanish officials blamed the surge on misinformation spread online that suggested migrants arriving by sea would be allowed to stay in Spain. After reports emerged online about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier in July that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be immediately returned, many capitalized on it as a chance to rush the border, authorities said.
Spain's Foreign Minister Pedro Sanchez stressed that Ceuta is an autonomous city and vowed to use all resources to support co-existence.
Sanchez said that Spain in the past has shown solidarity with other EU countries during migration crises and expects the same support in return.
The EU has scheduled an emergency videoconference of interior ministers for Tuesday to discuss the Ceuta crisis and coordinate the bloc's response.
EU President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc has stood with Spain "from the first moment" of the crisis, stressing that Spain's external border is also the European Union's external border. She also said that no migrants had reached mainland Spain or other EU countries from Ceuta.
She also said that she has tasked two commissioners to oversee the situation.
Meanwhile, the official death toll from the border rush has risen to 72 on the Spanish side of the border, while 11 fatalities have been reported on the Moroccan side.