El Hierro’s island council has declared a social emergency after more than 8,000 migrants arrived in five weeks. It is seeking extra personnel and coordinated transfers as local reception services come under pressure.
The Mossos d'Esquadra say the alleged network generated more than €3.2 million through sham job arrangements. It charged up to €30,000 to facilitate entry from Pakistan and up to €8,000 for people already in Spain.
The Canary Islands government says 49 migrant boats arrived between 1 and 6 November, carrying about 4,587 people. It is urging Spain’s Interior Ministry to send extra police and civil guard officers to El Hierro.
Seven people died after an inflatable was located about 150 kilometres north-east of Lanzarote, according to Agencia EFE. Salvamento Marítimo reported rescuing 510 people in eight boats during operations around the islands.
Three months after the mass arrivals, police raids and returns to Morocco continued in Ceuta. Nearly 14,000 people had crossed back, while about 7,000 remained in reception centres and 4,000 more were estimated to be unidentified.
Castilla y León and Senegal will continue talks on possible arrangements for returning unaccompanied foreign minors. Carlos Pollán met ambassador Ibrahim Al Khalil Seck; no agreement was announced.
Spain’s National Court has rejected at least 45 urgent requests to halt the return of migrants who reached Ceuta. The rulings leave the full asylum appeals undecided while removing the immediate legal pause sought by applicants.
The European Commission has proposed expanding Frontex to 30,000 personnel, including a 17,000-member reserve for EU states. The plan also aims to speed up returns after shortcomings exposed during the Ceuta crisis.
Ceuta president Juan Jesús Vivas used an appearance on ‘El Hormiguero’ to urge Spain’s government to act on migration. He said the crisis was costing the city €1m a day and damaging residents’ lives.
Around 30,000 people joined a Madrid march organised alongside Mujeres Caballas, according to the Government Delegation. The group called for urgent measures in Ceuta and the return to Morocco of people in an irregular situation.
Fernando Clavijo asked Pedro Sánchez for six urgent steps as arrivals on the Atlantic route rose. His letter cited 3,814 arrivals in the Canary Islands in October, including 2,776 on El Hierro, and asked what extra resources the State had deployed.
Spanish security sources allege a Moroccan Royal Navy vessel put about 30 migrants back into the sea off Ceuta as a Spanish rescue ship approached on 30 July. The reported episode unfolded during a day of intense pressure on the city.
The Andalusian Parliament approved a Vox motion with support from the PP, calling for national priority in housing and related aid. It also seeks the repatriation or deportation of some migrants and tax measures targeting non-EU buyers.
Javier Milei accused Pedro Sánchez’s government of encouraging arrivals in Ceuta for electoral gain. At a Nueva Economía Fórum event, he also argued that migrants cost public finances more than they contribute.
Cáritas Diocesana de Huelva has opened the Refugio Nuestra Señora del Rocío after assisting 1,018 people experiencing homelessness in 2025. Women accounted for 33% of those supported, well above the previous year’s share.
More than 350 Spanish officers moved about 500 people from migrant settlements in Ceuta on Sunday, including around 200 minors. Several dozen ran for nearby hills as the operation began.
The gate stood on Spanish customs land near the Tarajal breakwater. Guardia Civil sources said it was opened to avert a crush; other sources attributed the order to the Government.
A report sent to Spain’s Audiencia Nacional says Moroccan authorities knew days ahead that a mass entry into Ceuta was expected. The CNI says security for the Throne Festival took priority as the border response fell short.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska says migrants left Ceuta voluntarily or following judicial or administrative decisions. More than 400 protection applicants withdrew their claims, and over 500 expulsions were carried out.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis warned of tighter border controls as EU leaders criticised Spain’s migration policy. Austria challenged the regularisation lead, while Denmark urged the Commission to assess its effects.
Rafa Latorre praised the royal visit as a show of support for Ceuta and said Felipe VI’s defence of Spanish sovereignty contrasted with the Government’s response to Moroccan naval incursions. He also recalled the border tragedy and his earlier statement that Melilla was expected to be the next stop.
At least one Moroccan frigate and several patrol boats entered waters off Ceuta without permission. The incursions coincided with a mass arrival of migrants and a near collision at sea.
More than 70,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta on 30 and 31 July as Moroccan warships entered waters Spain claims as its own. Pedro Sánchez confirmed the incidents and said the two navies later spoke.
Nine boats brought 1,107 people to the Canary Islands since Friday. Sunday saw 668 arrivals and six people taken to hospital, one in critical condition, as arrivals climbed after a steep early-year fall.
Moroccan naval vessels entered waters claimed by Spain during the July migrant crisis. Spain sent warships to Ceuta after repeated incursions reportedly brought patrol boats close to a collision.
Migrants removed from settlements in Ceuta say officials promised registration at reception camps before buses took them to Morocco. Their accounts challenge the official classification of 1,823 returns as voluntary.
Police have cleared El Guano, Ceuta’s last major migrant camp. More than 500 migrants had remained there, while others hid across the city or waited for a route to mainland Spain.
In just two days, more than 1,200 migrants left Ceuta’s makeshift camps. The rapid clearance came ahead of Spain’s snap elections and the King’s visit, raising questions about the timing and methods behind the sudden change.
Felipe VI called for joint protection of the EU's external borders during his visit to Helsinki. Finland backed Spain over Ceuta, tying southern border security to defence in the Arctic.
Judge María Tardón has ordered Ceuta to submit its call records. The request covers contacts with Pedro Sánchez and La Moncloa during the border crisis.
Spain’s National Court has ordered Ceuta’s government to urgently hand over all call records between Juan Jesús Vivas and Pedro Sánchez in the days leading up to the July migrant influx. The investigation seeks to establish whether Madrid received critical warnings before the border was overwhelmed.
More than 1,100 migrants were removed from El Trampolín in Ceuta on Sunday and Monday. About 900 returned to Morocco on Sunday, while the total across both days passed 1,200.
Police are dismantling Ceuta's largest migrant settlement just days before Spain's King and Queen visit the city. Nearly 3,000 people were initially reported to be living there, but police say the camp holds more than 3,500.
Spanish police have begun a partial eviction at Trampolín beach in Ceuta, where more than 3,000 migrants live in makeshift camps. The operation focuses on relocating people for identification and possible return to Morocco, while security measures are tightened around basic infrastructure.
EU interior ministers have approved rules intended to speed up deportations. Spain was the only country to vote against them, while Belgium abstained.
