'Ceuta is
Spain': Hundreds of people protest Spanish government's response efforts over
migrant influx crisis
By Lucia Blasco
Published
on 09/08/2026 - 21:31 GMT+2•Updated 22:09
Hundreds
of Ceuta residents gathered on Sunday to demand an “immediate, decisive and
proportionate” response to the migration crisis, in a protest, organised by the
city’s four religious communities.
The four
religious communities in Ceuta — Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu — brought
together hundreds of people in Constitution Square on Sunday afternoon to
demand solutions to the migrant crisis and defend coexistence in the city.
The
protest, held under the slogan "Enough is enough, Ceuta will not
surrender", was marked by criticism of the government in Madrid, which
some protesters accused of "abandonment".
"Ceuta
is not for sale. Ceuta is Spain" and "Sánchez, resign" were
among the chants heard from the crowd. Some protesters later continued the
demonstration with a march towards the Government Delegation in the city.
Meanwhile,
tensions flared in Plaza de los Reyes when Spanish far-right political activist
Vito Quiles arrived, with some people in the crowd accusing him of coming to
“divide” Ceuta’s residents.
The
crisis has also fuelled political tensions over Spain’s decision to temporarily
reinstate controls at ports and airports for travellers arriving from Italy,
after Rome refused to lift controls it had imposed on passengers arriving from
Spain following the events in Ceuta last week.
Ceuta’s
President Juan Jesús Vivas met on Saturday with the Minister for Youth and
Children, Sira Rego, who travelled to the autonomous city to focus in
particular on the situation of unaccompanied migrant minors.
The
government has identified 1,342 minors, although others have yet to be
registered.
Following
the meeting, Vivas insisted that his government’s position is that they should
be returned to Morocco. "The only way out is Morocco via the Tarajal
border crossing," he said.
The Ceuta
leader also described the situation as "absolutely unsustainable" and
called on the central government for more resources and security personnel.
The
Ministry for Youth and Children, for its part, has put the emphasis on the
protection of minors and maintains that each case must be examined
individually.
Rego
defended family reunification "whenever possible", but recalled that
"many of the unaccompanied migrant boys and girls do not have families, so
in these cases the autonomous communities must act as their guardians and
guarantee their rights".
The
minister also said that the government will deploy "all the necessary
resources" for the reception process and will guarantee "full
support, financial, technical and human, for Ceuta". A technical team from
the ministry has also travelled to the city to support the management of
reception and coordination with the autonomous communities.
The next
point of friction will be the Sectoral Commission on Children and Adolescents,
called for 13 August, which will address the transfer of minors from Ceuta.
Vox has
announced that its vice presidents with responsibilities in this area in
Castile and Leon, Extremadura and Aragon will not attend the meeting. The party
has reiterated its opposition to the distribution with the slogan
"children with their families".
Four
religious communities take to the streets
The four
main religious communities in Ceuta called Sunday's gathering in Plaza de la
Constitución, aiming to send a joint message of unity and coexistence and to
demand solutions to the situation the city is going through.
Vivas
himself has called on the people of Ceuta to take part and stressed that the
rally is intended to remain above party-political differences.
"This
is not anyone’s gathering. It is not a gathering by any political party. It is
not a gathering to benefit anyone in particular," he said on Saturday.
"It is a call to make clear that Ceuta will not give in, that Ceuta will
move forward."
The
president of the autonomous Spanish territory reiterated the need to preserve
unity among the population and, despite his criticism of the central
government, he noted that he will maintain "institutional loyalty"
and a "sense of state".
Vivas
believes, however, that after the 2021 border crisis and the current one the
government "has stumbled twice on the same stone".
Ayuso,
Vox and the PP ramp up pressure on Sánchez
The
crisis has also fuelled political confrontation over Spain’s decision to
temporarily restore controls at ports and airports for travellers arriving from
Italy, after Rome refused to lift the checks it imposed on passengers arriving
from Spain following the crisis.
"We
let more than 70,000 people enter illegally through Ceuta alone and we ban
Italians from entering, a brother country that invests in and contributes to
Spain," said Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Madrid capital region.
"It’s
spectacular, this turning our backs on the West," she added.
From the
PP, its deputy secretary for Economy and Sustainable Development, Alberto
Nadal, accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government of having
"isolated Spain in the European Union" with its migration policy and
called for explanations in Parliament.
The
president of Extremadura, María Guardiola, also criticised the government’s
response and said that "Extremadura rejects this drift".
"This
is not about setting territories against each other, or seeking fractures to
mask problems. This is about facing the situation with humanity, seriousness
and a firm voice," she stressed.
Vox,
meanwhile, has focused its messages in recent hours on rejecting the transfer
of minors from Ceuta. In addition to announcing that its regional vice
presidents responsible for this area will not attend the meeting on the 13th of
August, the party has repeatedly stated its position with the slogan
"children with their families".
Italy
denounces 'unacceptable' Spanish border measures
Tensions
between Madrid and Rome have continued on Sunday, with Italy’s foreign minister
and deputy prime minister, Antonio Tajani, describing Spain’s decision to
respond to the Italian controls with equivalent measures as
"incomprehensible and totally unacceptable".
"We
suspended the Schengen area, as required by the Treaties, because something
extraordinary happened in Ceuta," Tajani said in an interview to Italian
media outlets.
The top
Italian diplomat argued that Rome intends to lift the measures once the risk
has disappeared and accused Pedro Sánchez of having "intensified" the
situation. "We are not against Spain, but we have the duty to protect our
borders," he added.
Opposition
parties in Italy however criticised Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government
for creating what it slammed as an "unfounded" diplomatic crisis.
Spain and
Italy have informed the European Commission that their respective controls are
temporary.
European
Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, said on Saturday
that both countries had confirmed this provisional nature to him and pointed to
signs that Italy may soon lift its measures. Spain's retaliatory measures are
set to run through to 7 September.
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