Madrid assures after mass arrival in Ceuta: Schengen borders remain secure

Ceuta – 31 July 2026: Following the mass arrival of people from Morocco in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, the government in Madrid reaffirmed the security of the Schengen area. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Friday that it was not possible to travel onward from Ceuta or Melilla to the Iberian Peninsula without an identity check by the police. He was responding to concerns that the border crisis could affect other EU countries.

According to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior, around 50,000 people have entered Ceuta irregularly since the crisis began. This represents an exceptional burden for the city on the North African coast: Ceuta itself has significantly fewer inhabitants. Many people are said to have crossed the border from Morocco by swimming or under dangerous conditions. Several media outlets also reported deaths during attempts to reach the exclave.

On Friday, the Interior Ministry said that 48,300 of those who entered had voluntarily returned to Morocco. According to the ministry, fewer than 2,000 people remained in Ceuta. Independently verifiable information on the individual routes of return or possible applications for protection was initially not comprehensively available. Separate legal procedures apply to people seeking international protection; blanket returns are not permitted.

Albares also rejected the portrayal of Ceuta as an open gateway to Europe’s internal area. Ceuta and Melilla belong to Spain but are subject to special border rules within the Schengen system. Anyone wishing to travel from there to mainland Spain must undergo a check. The European Commission also said that no onward movement of the people who arrived in Ceuta to other parts of Europe had so far been identified.

The crisis nevertheless has diplomatic consequences. Italy’s government announced stricter checks on non-EU nationals on connections with Spain because of the events. Subsequent clarifications indicated that travelers from Spain and other EU countries would not be affected. Madrid reacted angrily and, according to media reports, summoned the Italian ambassador.

For Ceuta, the situation is above all a humanitarian and organizational emergency. The city lies on African soil but is part of Spanish territory and forms an external border of the European Union. Police, emergency services and municipal authorities had to provide for and register thousands of people within a short period of time, while also securing the border. At the same time, authorities must determine who is applying for protection and who can return to Morocco.

Madrid bases its reassurance on the continuing personal checks and the high number of returnees. According to the Interior Ministry, fewer than 2,000 of those who entered since the crisis began were still in the exclave on Friday.