30/07/2026 21:04 - Internacionales
The autonomous city of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northern coast of Africa, is facing a new migration challenge. According to reports from Infobae and The New York Times, around 2,000 migrants have arrived by swimming from Morocco over the past five days, averaging about 300 people per day.
In response, local president Juan Jesús Vivas declared a humanitarian emergency and requested the deployment of the army to assist people and secure the area. The Spanish government acted swiftly, mobilizing military platoons, air and naval support, and diving teams to patrol the waters. Additionally, the European Union offered to send its border agency, Frontex, to collaborate in the operation.
Legal context: The crisis was triggered by a ruling from Spain's Supreme Court that prohibits summary returns at sea (known as 'hot returns'). According to the Ministry of the Interior, human trafficking networks exploited this ruling. So far, 60 bodies have been recovered, underscoring the urgency of ensuring safe pathways and saving lives in the Mediterranean Sea.
To understand the magnitude of this event, it's key to know the history of Ceuta. According to an analysis by La Capital, Ceuta and Melilla are a fascinating geographical anomaly: they are Spanish and European territory on African soil. Ceuta, with just 18.5 km² and 83,500 inhabitants, has a land border of 6.4 km with Morocco and is the only physical connection of the European Union to Africa.
Spanish presence in these cities predates the creation of the modern Moroccan state. Melilla was occupied in 1497, while Ceuta was conquered by Portugal in 1415 and passed to the Spanish Crown in 1580. The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 formalized Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta. Unlike other territories, the UN does not consider them colonies nor includes them in its list of territories to decolonize, and their inhabitants enjoy full Spanish and European citizenship.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
