Ceuta's Migrant Crisis Turns Holiday Into Protest
Ceuta's annual holiday is overshadowed by protests over a migrant influx, straining ties with Morocco and fueling Spanish politics.
The Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the northern coast of Africa, is marking its official holiday on September 2 not with celebration but with protest. The event comes weeks after the territory became the focal point of Spain's most severe border crisis in recent memory.
Last month, an estimated 72,000 people crossed into the territory from neighboring Morocco, with at least 90 dying in the attempt. While most were quickly returned, around 5,000 individuals, including 1,200 minors, remain in Ceuta, many sleeping on the streets or on the beach.
The influx has strained local resources and angered residents. Ceuta's regional leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, called the event a violation of Spain's territorial integrity rather than a simple migratory wave. He has urged the central government to reinforce the border with Morocco, warning that migration could otherwise be used as a political tool.
Demonstrations are planned in Ceuta and in more than 200 towns across mainland Spain. While the protests are organized under the banner of a nonpartisan municipal association, they are promoted by the conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox party, which have used the crisis to attack the left-wing government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Spain's territorial policy minister, Ángel Víctor Torres, dismissed the protests as politically motivated, saying they aim to attack the government rather than support Ceuta. In response to the crisis, Madrid has earmarked 309 million euros ($357 million) for the enclave's social services, housing, economy, and security.
Prime Minister Sánchez has defended Morocco's role in helping return most migrants and has blamed the mass crossing on a misinterpretation of a court ruling and disinformation on social media. He has also accused accounts linked to Russia and Israel of amplifying the crisis, a claim both governments have denied. Sánchez's administration has not provided public evidence for these allegations, citing internal reports.
Meanwhile, migrants still in Ceuta express desperation. One Moroccan man, Nebil Tazi, said they are suffering and sleeping on the beach with no solution in sight. The holiday itself commemorates September 2, 1415, when Portuguese forces first disembarked, with the territory later passing to Spain in 1580.