Overview
- About 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta on July 30 in a chaotic rush that left scores dead and quickly overwhelmed the enclave’s reception capacity.
- Spanish authorities started burying dozens of unidentified migrants this week after efforts to obtain DNA matches and Moroccan cooperation stalled.
- At least 15 reported sexual assaults in makeshift camps have driven Madrid to approve the transfer of roughly 500 unaccompanied or at-risk girls to the Spanish mainland for protection and processing.
- Police have arrested suspected people‑smugglers linked to moves from Ceuta to mainland Spain and detained dozens after a separate speedboat landing of about 60 migrants at Cala del Barco near La Manga, underlining persistent smuggling routes.
- Estimates of those still in Ceuta range from roughly 5,000 to as many as 9,000–10,000, straining shelters, prompting extra Schengen checks and fueling political and legal debates over returns and border policy across the EU.