Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares reiterated during a visit to Ceuta warned on 11 August 2026 of irregular arrivals across the Spanish-Moroccan border and announced swift returns. Anyone who enters Ceuta irregularly or Melilla arrives there will be returned and will not be able to travel on to mainland Spain or the European internal area, he said. Albares also stressed that, according to the government, no migrant had reached the mainland and the integrity of the Schengen area had been maintained.
Albares met the president of the autonomous city, Juan Jesús Vivas. According to the government, the visit was intended to assess the situation and coordinate on the ground: border management, returns and the care of people who remained there were discussed. The minister described the Ceuta border as the most complex in Europe. Madrid has reinforced its presence in the city in response to the recent crisis.
Cooperation with Moroccois at the centre of the matter. Albares referred to daily contacts with his Moroccan counterpart and spoke of agreements that had enabled the immediate return of thousands of people. Rabat had asked for nothing in return, the minister said. The government presents the returns as the result of bilateral coordination with Rabat; key operational steps are coordinated between Madrid and the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
Albares cited disinformation and false reports circulated on social media about supposed opportunities to settle in Spain as the trigger for the latest movements at the border. He urged people in Morocco not to take this route. Albares dismissed criticism from Italy of Spain’s handling of the crisis as “irresponsible”. On Tuesday, the authorities did not provide reliable, confirmed overall figures for arrivals and returns; however, the government reaffirmed its intention to return to Morocco everyone who had entered irregularly.
Legal questions remain central: under Spanish law, individual assessments are required, particularly for people seeking protection and unaccompanied minors. The government points to ongoing administrative and court proceedings, which determine the action taken in each case. Madrid is maintaining two policy lines: the swift return of irregular arrivals and close cooperation with Morocco on security and migration, to prevent further border crossings in Ceuta and Melilla.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).