Hundreds of migrants who recently swam from Morocco to Ceuta face an uncertain future after Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, publicly confirmed that all irregular arrivals will be returned to Morocco. His statement at a press conference quickly spread among migrants through WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) and social media, fuelling fears that their hopes of staying in Spain are fading fast.
For many, the announcement seemed to close off the possibility that bureaucratic or diplomatic obstacles might prevent their return. Albares said Spain and Morocco had reached a clear agreement: everyone who entered Ceuta irregularly would be sent back, with Rabat ready to cooperate and demanding no concessions in return. The minister also said he holds daily discussions with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, a sign of the plan's seriousness. The government has described returns as a mix of voluntary departures and formal expulsions, not as one automatic process.
The scale of the operation emerged in figures presented by government spokesperson Elma Saiz: between 10 August and 20 October 2026, Spain reported that 12,705 people had returned to Morocco. The breakdown listed 12,142 voluntary returns and 536 expulsions, figures that do not add up to the stated total. The government also said it had established 7,477 temporary accommodation places in Ceuta, as reception and return operations proceeded at the same time.
Among those affected is Siraj, a 16-year-old who has spent nearly two weeks in Ceuta after making the dangerous swim from Morocco. Each morning, he has waited outside the local police headquarters, hoping to be registered and gain access to Spain's child protection system. So far, police officers have kept him and hundreds of others waiting in the sun, preventing them from approaching the entrance. Many, like Siraj, are reconsidering their options. Some say they are reluctantly willing to return to Morocco and try to enter Spain legally in the future.
For unaccompanied minors, but, return is not legally automatic. The Spain-Morocco structure requires authorities to identify each child and assess their circumstances before deciding whether return serves the child's best interests. That assessment includes the possibility of family reunification or referral to Morocco's child-protection system. Both governments must also cooperate. The procedure calls for individual consideration, not a blanket decision covering every minor who entered Ceuta irregularly.
Conditions for migrants remain dire. In the El Tarajal industrial area, groups sleep on thin mattresses or directly on the ground, using blankets for shade during the day. Hunger and thirst compound the heat. Since Albares' statement, many have come to believe deportation is imminent, not a distant risk. Some have shown NGO workers news reports on their phones, including statements from Morocco's justice minister, Abdelatif Wahbi, who reiterated his country's determination to recover its citizens, especially minors, from Spain.
Families are particularly anxious. One mother, who fled Morocco to escape domestic violence, fears being forced to return and separated from her daughter. Nearby, a father nervously asks whether he will be separated from his family. Police and military patrols are visible throughout Ceuta, adding to the uncertainty; many migrants see them as a sign that removals could begin at any moment. Even young children, including eight-year-old Mohamed, say they feel afraid whenever soldiers pass by.
Adults are also struggling to cope. Hamza, 26, says he has barely slept in recent nights, staying awake for fear police might arrive while he rests. Many spend their days waiting through the elements, anxious about what comes next. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said authorities had received up to 1,200 asylum applications, of which 700 had been resolved. He rejected allegations of secret removals, saying: "There are no covert deportations under any circumstances." Asylum claims and individual protection needs remain relevant to decisions about return.
The situation in Ceuta has drawn national attention. Previous reports have highlighted the government's insistence that no migrants from the recent surge would be transferred to mainland Spain. As noted in recent coverage of the Ceuta border crisis, authorities have repeatedly stressed that all irregular arrivals will be returned to Morocco, a message Albares has now echoed.
Ceuta's status as a Spanish enclave on the North African coast has long made it a focal point for migration issues. The current crisis followed a mass movement from Morocco that began on 30 July 2026, with estimates of arrivals ranging from about 50,000, cited by Spain's Interior Ministry, to 80,000, cited by Ceuta authorities. On 4 August, Grande-Marlaska said approximately 70,000 of 72,000 arrivals had already returned. Since then, the response has combined large-scale returns with expanded accommodation, while minors' cases and asylum claims follow separate procedures. For those stranded in Ceuta, the immediate future remains uncertain, shaped by political decisions and life on the border.
