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Ceuta protests over crisis
Thousands of residents and supporters took to the streets across Spain on Wednesday to protest Madrid’s handling of the migrant crisis in Ceuta, after a deadly border surge in late July when “at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco.”
“at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco”
In Madrid, authorities said some 50,000 protesters turned out, while demonstrators waved Spanish flags and shouted “Sánchez to prison” and “Invaders — go home!”
The Associated Press journalist reported hearing shots and explosions after the demonstration ended, and El País said police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds.
The mass crossing began in late July, when about 72,000 people “swam, scrambled or charged into the small Spanish territory neighboring Morocco,” with at least 90 dying in the effort to reach Europe.
Ceuta’s regional leader Juan Jesús Vivas said during an institutional act on Wednesday to mark the holiday that “What happened was the violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.”
Sánchez, PP and Vox clash
Spain’s minister of territorial policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, told Spanish National Radio that the protests were politically motivated, saying “This is not to show support for the city of Ceuta or its residents; it is to attack the government of Spain.”
In Madrid, the Reuters report described the Spain-wide protests as called by the FEMP federation of municipalities dominated by the main opposition conservative People’s Party, while Spain’s leftist government distanced itself from the initiative.
Reuters quoted Torres again, saying “This is not about defending Ceuta and the Ceutans, it is about attacking the government,” as negotiations between local and central government remained deadlocked.
El País reported that the Policía Nacional dispersed ultra groups near the Congress of Deputies with gases lacrimógenos and pelotas de goma, and said four demonstrators, two of them minors, were detained while four police officers were injured.
In the same reporting, El País said PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo told the crowd that “una ciudad española ha sido invadida, ocupada, y, lamentablemente, con el conocimiento del Gobierno de España.”
Aid, deportations and unresolved
As the political fight continued, the Spanish government approved urgent measures for Ceuta through Real Decreto-ley 22/2026, de 1 de septiembre, responding to the crisis after the irregular entry on the days 30 and 31 de julio.
“pago único de 5.000 euros”
The Tirant Prime report said the rule included direct aid to autónomos and companies, with autónomos receiving a “pago único de 5.000 euros,” and companies receiving amounts depending on their cifra de negocio.
It also said the government earmarked “catorce millones de euros” for the Cámara Oficial de Comercio, Industria, Servicios y Navegación de Ceuta, and approved a “línea de avales del Estado por 50 millones de euros” managed by the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO).
Despite the measures, Reuters said nearly five weeks after the surge, “over 10,000 migrants, including unaccompanied minors, remain stranded in makeshift camps or scattered across streets and beaches in the enclave.”
In Ceuta, the crisis remained unresolved for many people, with Ceuta’s president Juan Jesús Vivas saying “Ceuta is in danger” and calling for the expulsion of illegal migrants who entered in violation of regulations and “territorial integrity.”