Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has ordered a large increase in the police presence in Ceuta. Around twenty National Police officers specializing in immigration have been deployed to speed up the expulsion process for thousands of irregular migrants still in the city after the mass entry on July 30. They join the six-member team from the Unidad Central de Expulsiones y Repatriaciones (UCER), already working to identify adults and process their return to Morocco.
The Interior Ministry’s latest move comes amid mounting pressure to restore order and address local security concerns. Marlaska said that no one entering Ceuta or Melilla irregularly would be allowed to stay or move to mainland Spain, except in rare cases of extreme vulnerability. He urged would-be migrants not to trust criminal networks and stressed that regularization would be granted only in exceptional circumstances.
Official ministry figures put the number of people who crossed into Ceuta during the July incident at 72,000, with 70,000 reportedly returned to Morocco. Government sources now suggest the total may be closer to 80,000, echoing claims by Ceuta’s president, Juan José Vivas. The deployment also includes 50 officers from the Unidad de Prevención y Reacción (UPR), sent from Madrid and Alicante, with additional personnel from Seville. They will reinforce street patrols after residents voiced concerns about a perceived rise in crime.
The scale of the July crossings has also been described as more than 70,000 people entering from Morocco over 48 hours. A report on an internal Ceuta Government document later put the number of entries at 96,058. That figure is a cumulative administrative estimate, not a count of unique individuals. Entry estimates measure something different from the return figures recorded over subsequent weeks.
In an update on October 20, Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Minister Elma Saiz said 12,705 people had returned from Ceuta to Morocco since August 10. She listed 12,142 voluntary returns and 536 expulsions, and said 3,331 minors had been identified after the crisis. These categories distinguish voluntary departures from formal expulsions. The figures cover returns recorded since August 10, not the total number of crossings during the July episode.
Ceuta president Juan Jesús Vivas later said approximately 15,000 migrants remained in the city and called the central government’s response “very serious,” criticizing what he described as “alarming passivity.” He also called for around 3,300 minors registered by Ceuta to be returned to Morocco. The figures reflect separate snapshots and administrative measures: the central government’s return total and the city president’s estimate of the population still present.
Other reported figures show the scale of the ongoing reception and screening operation. Authorities had created approximately 8,000 reception places, with around 6,100 occupied, and reported screening about 5,400 adults and 310 minors. Migrant case processing was said to take roughly 12 weeks, with the first deadlines expected on November 20, 2026. These figures track operational activity and screening, separate from the total number of minors identified after the crisis.
Recent judicial actions have sharpened the focus on security. The Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia reported that nine migrants from the mass entry had been sent to prison in recent days. They included two accused of sexual assaults against minors who also arrived on July 30. Judges have also ordered the expulsion of two others for separate offenses. Marlaska confirmed that police had been instructed to seek immediate judicial authorization to expel any detainees. The reported departures have followed different legal channels: Vivas said no returns had taken place through administrative removal resolutions.
This is not the first reinforcement since the crisis began. On the day of the mass entry, nearly 350 additional officers were sent to support the city’s existing police force, overwhelmed by migrants swimming from Morocco. The National Police dispatched an initial immigration team and five riot control units (UIP) from Sevilla and Málaga, with another contingent from Madrid. Together, they totaled 225 officers and were tasked with maintaining public order. Local UPR and UIP teams have since doubled their shifts to maintain a visible police presence.
Further support included 45 more UIP officers and six from the General Commissariat of Information, responsible for counterterrorism. The Guardia Civil sent three platoons, or 60 agents, to reinforce border surveillance, along with 160 officers from Andalusia for public security duties. They were supported by 2,000 Armed Forces personnel stationed in Ceuta. For maritime control, authorities deployed two diving teams from the Grupo Especial de Actividades Subacuáticas (GEAS) and the Duque de Ahumada patrol vessel, staffed by 12 Guardia Civil agents. The city’s Maritime Service maintains two medium vessels and four zodiacs. Additional boat operators and mechanics support operations, while drone pilots and a helicopter reinforce aerial surveillance.
The continuing presence of migrants has also affected public spaces and local services. Authorities reported removing around 200 migrants from garages, rooftops, and homes in El Príncipe as reception and screening operations continued. The episode has involved border policing and returns, alongside accommodation and municipal management.
The situation in Ceuta has drawn national attention. The Royal Household previously highlighted the King’s concern and arranged a meeting between Felipe VI and the city’s president following the unprecedented border incident, as detailed in this related report.
Ceuta’s position as a Spanish enclave on the border with Morocco has made it a focal point for migration into Europe. The city’s authorities and residents have repeatedly called for more resources to manage border security and the humanitarian challenges of sudden mass arrivals. The latest reinforcements reflect ongoing efforts to balance public order with legal and humanitarian obligations, including individual procedures and applicable protection safeguards. Other EU countries facing similar pressure at their external borders are closely watching Spain’s approach in Ceuta.
