Madrid estimates that 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta

The local government stated that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants continue to be present in Ceuta. The Chairman of the Executive Power of Ceuta spoke after an extraordinary meeting of the City Government Council, which was convened to analyze the situation eight days after the mass arrival of people from Morocco.

The Chairman of the Executive Power of Ceuta demanded that the central government accelerate the return of migrants to Morocco, calling it the 'only way out' to resolve the 'absolutely unstable' situation. He rejected claims about the normalization of life in the city and questioned the figures presented by the central government, which, according to him, indicate about 2,500 people remaining in Ceuta.

'Estimates suggest the number is between 8,000 and 11,000,' the chairman stated, demanding 'transparency in communication' and an assessment of the situation that allows for a 'proportionate' response. He described the current situation as 'absolutely unstable,' noting that thousands of people 'wander through streets, neighborhoods, mountain areas, beaches, without shelter and without basic necessities.'

In his opinion, this situation generates a feeling of insecurity, disrupts daily life, and threatens coexistence, so he demanded immediate intervention from the central government. The chairman insisted that the only solution is the return of all people who arrived in Ceuta during the mass influx and remain in the city.

He emphasized: 'The only way out is Morocco, across the El Tarajal border,' warning that those who remain in Ceuta must know that the city 'will not issue documents' and 'trips to the Peninsula' are impossible. The Chairman of Ceuta believes that repatriation is a 'lifeline' for the city, as it will help avoid forming expectations that contribute to similar situations in the future.

'If this is not done, open expectation and unbearable uncertainty for the future, stability, and development of our city will remain,' he warned. To make this decision feasible, the chairman requested the central government to increase material and human resources allocated to the foreign affairs sector so that returns can happen 'as soon as possible.'

This request is supplemented by two other measures proposed by the city: a significant increase in the presence of the National Police and Civil Guard on the streets, as well as maintaining the presence of the Army in Ceuta to strengthen the sense of security among the population. The chairman insisted that the current situation is a consequence of the mass influx, which, in his view, constitutes a violation of Spain's territorial integrity and requires an adequate response from the state.

Nevertheless, he assured that the Ceuta government would maintain 'institutional loyalty, responsibility, and a spirit of state,' despite the demand for faster action from the central executive body. He concluded: 'Right now we are asking for what we should ask, because we fully realize that we are playing for the future of our city.'

According to sources from the Ceuta government, about 900 children, all of whom are Moroccan citizens, are in three reception centers—La Esperanza, Tarajal Nueva Esperanza, and Pinners.

However, the regional government warned that many minors may be in illegal locations in the city, especially in the mountains, or have not yet been found by local police, who are moving teenagers and young people to appropriate shelters.

Authorities believe that the number of minors under protection may change in the coming hours and exceed a thousand, although it was reported that some of these young people voluntarily returned to Morocco with parents who made an illegal crossing from Morocco.

Nevertheless, local police continue to search for these Moroccans, presumably minors, to hand them over to state-run institutions.

The autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta, located in North Africa, recorded the entry of thousands of migrants from Morocco last week. Local authorities estimate the number of arrivals to be close to 60,000, which is almost as many as permanently reside there. Most migrants have already voluntarily returned to Morocco, according to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior.

According to the latest official report, at least 71 people died trying to reach Ceuta by swimming since Thursday. This incident prompted a reaction from several European leaders, including countries such as Italy, Denmark, Finland, Czechia, and Sweden, who demanded the suspension of Spain's participation in the Schengen area of free movement, and called on other countries, including Portugal, to strengthen border control for fear that thousands of people who reached Ceuta could enter mainland Spain and use the freedom of movement to travel to the rest of Europe.

According to initial estimates from the Spanish Government, more than 50,000 individuals entered Ceuta illegally, with a large influx occurring on Thursday. However, at least 48,300 people voluntarily returned to Morocco on Friday.

Despite the departure of many, hundreds, or even thousands, of migrants remain present in Ceuta. These individuals are grouped in areas further away from military and police checkpoints, whose patrols have been intensified in the city. They are found on beaches or near the Temporary Reception Center for Migrants (CETI), according to the Lusa agency.

Reports from other media sources indicate that hundreds of people are hidden or taking refuge in the city's hills. Almost all the migrants who remain are from sub-Saharan countries, while those who decided to leave on their own since Friday were Moroccan citizens.

Among the hundreds who persist near the CETI, without access to the reception center—which Ceuta authorities claim is overcrowded—are people from nations such as Senegal, Gambia, Yemen, or Sudan. Many of these individuals already resided in Morocco, in cities like Tangier or Casablanca, and headed to the Ceuta border after obtaining information, either by word of mouth or through the Internet, that it was possible to cross to the Spanish side, as reported by several migrants to Lusa.

All interviewees for Lusa mentioned crossing by swimming on Thursday, taking advantage of the large number of people and low tide, which allowed them to bypass the El Tarajal pontoon, located on the border between Ceuta and Morocco.

Currently, these migrants are on the streets, crowded on sidewalks and on the access road to the CETI, reporting no access to food, drink, or hygiene, but expressing a desire to remain in Ceuta, Spain, and in Europe. Florence, 32, from Senegal, stated: 'I want to live well, like everyone else. And freedom.' There, also a 32-year-old Senegalese man who worked in small trade in Morocco for four years told Lusa: 'I want to live well, like everyone else. And freedom.' Fatima, 28, from Sudan, added: 'There is war in our country.'

Spain mobilized military forces in Ceuta and reinforced the presence of security forces in the city. The Government announced on Friday an agreement with Morocco aimed at the rapid repatriation of people who had entered illegally the previous week. According to reports from the migrants themselves to the media, the closure of shops and other services in the city for two days, which made it impossible to buy food, led tens of thousands to leave the city shortly after entering.

The border near the El Tarajal pontoon was reinforced with the installation of a new half-kilometer pneumatic barrier over the sea on Saturday. Since Thursday, the Spanish police have counted the removal of 71 bodies from this location. In 2025, this point recorded 46 drowning deaths in illegal entry attempts into Ceuta.

Sources in the city cited by the newspaper El Pais assure that spaces with cold storage chambers are being prepared to receive up to 200 corpses, recognizing the possibility of more victims in the waters. To date, the number of bodies removed from the Moroccan side is unknown.

In contrast, local authorities informed that about 1,150 of the people who entered Ceuta since Thursday received medical attention. The city of Ceuta is gradually returning to normalcy, with shops and restaurants reopened since Saturday, tourists filling the central terraces, and vehicle traffic resuming.

However, this recovery occurs under strong police and military surveillance on the streets, and the city's major annual festivities, culminating in the celebration of Africa Virgin Day, scheduled for August 5th and supposed to start on Saturday, have been canceled.