{"id":26474,"date":"2026-08-03T20:52:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T15:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=26474"},"modified":"2026-08-03T20:52:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T15:52:39","slug":"spains-ceuta-overwhelmed-as-thousands-remain-after-migrant-border-rush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=26474","title":{"rendered":"Spain&#8217;s Ceuta overwhelmed\u00a0as thousands remain after migrant border rush"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">CEUTA, Spain, Aug 3 (Reuters) &#8211; Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain&#8217;s North African enclave of Ceuta on Monday as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Spain estimates \u200cthat about 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco over the past four days, exceeding initial estimates of around 50,000 arrivals in Ceuta on \u200cThursday. The official death toll on the Spanish side of the border stands at 72, with 11 deaths on the Moroccan side.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Many said they left as shop closures had left them without food, \u200bthey encountered hostility from locals and they were unable to travel on to the Spanish mainland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ceuta and Spain&#8217;s other North African enclave, Melilla, sit on Morocco&#8217;s Mediterranean coast and periodically face attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reuters video showed scores of migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, lying on the sand of El Trampolin beach. Many were wrapped in towels to shield from the wind, while army and police vehicles patrolled the road behind them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ceuta&#8217;s leader Juan Jesus Vivas told broadcaster Telecinco \u200cbetween 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave, \u2060adding that its two migrant reception centres \u2014 one for adults and another for minors \u2014 had &#8220;collapsed&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Local official Alberto Gaitan said the city was processing 862 migrant minors, who enjoy special legal protections from deportation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The crisis has fuelled anti-immigration rhetoric throughout Europe and \u2060sparked diplomatic tensions within the European Union over border policy, with Spain accusing some partners of an unhelpful and polarising response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Monday that Spain had previously supported other EU countries during migration crises and now expected reciprocal backing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The bloc has called an emergency video conference meeting of interior ministers to discuss the crisis \u200bon \u200bTuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Albares sharply criticised Italy&#8217;s government, accusing it of helping amplify misinformation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He said Morocco had immediately \u200boffered police support and had not attached conditions to its \u200ccooperation, allowing for the rapid return of most of those who crossed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But Ceuta&#8217;s Vivas was critical of Rabat, saying there was a widespread perception within Ceuta that it had allowed \u2014 if not orchestrated \u2014 the crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Morocco has shown us that it isn&#8217;t reliable. There&#8217;s no alternative but to put in place whatever means are necessary to ensure it cannot do this again,&#8221; Vivas told newspaper El Pais.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Morocco&#8217;s Interior Ministry on Sunday blamed the surge on misinformation on social media, human trafficking networks and misinterpretation of a Spanish court ruling banning immediate returns of migrants intercepted at sea. That was in line with Madrid&#8217;s official view.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">INTELLIGENCE SERVICES UNDER SCRUTINY<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">According to \u200creports by El Pais and Cadena SER radio, citing officials familiar with the matter, Spanish \u200bintelligence services have concluded that Morocco did not plan the mass crossing, but allowed it to \u200bhappen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Moroccan border controls were gradually relaxed during July and were allegedly removed \u200bas crowds surged toward the Tarajal crossing during Morocco&#8217;s Throne Day holiday, the reports said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Morocco&#8217;s Interior Ministry did not immediately respond \u200cto a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In its Sunday statement, it said \u200bMorocco is &#8220;committed to strengthening international cooperation and \u200bcoordination in combating irregular migration and human trafficking&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Spain&#8217;s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters on Saturday the foreign intelligence agency CNI, controlled by the Defence Ministry, did not warn him of an imminent surge. El Pais said on Monday that had caused tensions between the two ministries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">An Interior Ministry \u200bspokesperson downplayed the reported tensions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Defence Minister Margarita Robles declined to \u200csay whether the CNI had any prior intelligence of the mass crossing, adding its work was secret and praising the &#8220;exceptional&#8221; work of \u200bSpanish security services personnel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">(Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto, David Latona, Joan Faus, Ahmed El Jechtimi and Victoria Waldersee; Additional reporting by Corina Pons and Javi \u200bWest Larra\u00f1aga; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Sharon Singleton)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CEUTA, Spain, Aug 3 (Reuters) &#8211; Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain&#8217;s North African enclave of Ceuta on Monday as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush last week. Spain estimates \u200cthat about 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/3b62b0956dd6b3d31ca2a1c9adeab7652ae25f2d0cd717d78a6bcfe17397f956\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w800_h533;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Freuters.com%2F1d625935d1193fd0608899ea35a9a7d4","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}