Spain blames Morocco’s ‘failed’ border controls for 70,000-migrant surge in Ceuta

A Spain’s Guardia Civil officier guards the border fence between Cauta and Morocco in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. — AFP pic

First Published: Wednesday, 23 Sep 2026 11:46 AM MYT

MADRID, Sept 23 — Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday blamed a failure of Moroccan border controls for a recent migrant crisis in Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta.

More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31 in an unprecedented and deadly rush.

Most returned to Morocco in the following hours. Several thousand, however, have remained in the Spanish enclave, where the situation has since deteriorated, leading to episodes of violence and almost daily demonstrations by local residents.

“We are investigating what happened in those days back in July but at the same time we have asked Morocco for actions and also for answers because it is also clear that its border control failed,” Sanchez said in English during an interview with CNN in New York.

Speaking in parliament on September 3, Sanchez said Madrid needed to ask the Moroccan authorities for “explanations and changes” to avoid a repeat of the migrant influx into Ceuta, while stressing there was no “solid proof” that Morocco had orchestrated it.

A Spanish police report seen by AFP said the number of Moroccan police officers around the border crossing was “clearly smaller than usual” and that officers “made no serious attempt” to stem the surge.

The report was based on satellite images, open-source videos and testimonies from migrants.

The Spanish government has since had to identify the thousands of migrants who remain in Ceuta to determine whether they are entitled to asylum. Unaccompanied children cannot be summarily deported. — AFP