Border security in Ceuta is stretched thin. The Guardia Civil stopped a series of coordinated attempts by sub-Saharan groups to break through the city’s fence. In one morning, officers caught more than a dozen people trying to slip through weak points. Pressure on the North African enclave is not letting up. RTVE and La Vanguardia report that, despite calls for mass crossings, basic spots such as Tarajal and Benzú remained calm on September 23. There were no large crowds, but police and Guardia Civil patrols were everywhere.
With Tarajal now locked down, migrants are targeting remote stretches of the border. Police sources told ABC that groups are now heading for the Bravo and Charlie sectors, where the terrain is rough and unpredictable. Patrols have only seconds to react. The old razor wire is gone, replaced by inverted comb barriers. Determined migrants can now climb both fences in under forty seconds, leaving patrols little time to stop them. Europa Press confirmed that 75 more UIP officers and three GRS platoons have been sent to Ceuta. Other Spanish outlets, citing government sources, reported the same move.
Officers say every day is a scramble. New attempts come daily, some more violent than before. The Guardia Civil’s equipment is wearing out, and patrol vehicles are “falling apart,” with problems affecting steering and the engine, while traction has also suffered for years. This makes it harder for agents to cover ground as migrants keep changing tactics. Spanish media say the government’s latest border reinforcements are part of a broader plan with Morocco and the EU. Ceuta’s border is a political flashpoint.
There have been no mass assaults like those in late July, but the threat remains. The recent destruction of floating buoys installed by the Ministry of the Interior has opened the way for more swimmers to try to reach Ceuta by sea, making the job harder for border guards. Spanish sources say that after the floating barriers were partly disabled, authorities expected more sea crossings and rushed to upgrade maritime defenses. The Spanish government has officially announced plans to replace the temporary floating barriers off Ceuta with a permanent system of buoys and an underwater net to prevent sea crossings. Following the mass breach at the end of July, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly acknowledged for the first time that Morocco’s border control had failed and formally requested concrete actions and answers from Rabat. This marked a impressive shift in bilateral coordination and led to intensified joint measures at the border.
The port of Ceuta is another trouble spot. Police catch nearly ten migrants hiding there each day in the hope of reaching the Spanish mainland. One common tactic is buying Spanish passports or ID cards from others. Both the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil are watching for this and trying to catch offenders before they get through.
On the beaches of Benítez and El Trampolín, migrants wait for transfer. Police have cracked down on makeshift markets where some resell donated food and clothes. The goal is to direct people to official camps. Local police now monitor these trading spots constantly, trying to restore order and steer migrants towards proper support.
More migrants are leaving on their own. Many decide to return to Morocco after learning that transfer to camps does not confer legal status in Spain or the EU. The camps are holding areas while cases are processed. Police sources say most cases end in rejection and expulsion from Ceuta.
Authorities are bracing for more transfers and new tactics. The strain is obvious: Ceuta is a border post caught in a continuing contest over adaptation and logistics. For security forces, the daily grind is nothing like the calm seen in recent property reports from other parts of Spain. Here, the risks are immediate and the margin for error is razor-thin. The situation at Ceuta’s border shows the limits of current policy and resources. If Spain wants to regain control of this frontier, it needs urgent investment and a new strategy.
