Overview
- Tens of thousands crossed from Morocco into Ceuta at the end of July, and although many returned or were returned, thousands remain in the 20‑square‑kilometre city living in makeshift shelters.
- Local and national counts differ sharply, with Madrid estimating about 5,000 people and Ceuta authorities saying up to 10,000 remain, including more than 2,100 minors recorded by the Interior Ministry.
- Ceuta’s regional president Juan Jesús Vivas has warned the central government that the city is in danger and is pressing for faster returns, while Madrid has proposed three provisional sites to house roughly 1,500 vulnerable people in tents.
- Humanitarian and protection concerns are acute: aid groups report severe overcrowding, hunger strikes have begun, and local police are investigating at least 15 alleged rapes with children singled out as especially at risk.
- Moroccan security forces continue to intercept groups near Fnideq and the crisis is shaping debate on EU route-based migration cooperation, return policy and how social media rumors can trigger rapid, large-scale movements.