Ceuta was thrust into the national spotlight after an extraordinary surge in migration on 30 and 31 July 2026, when around 80,000 people crossed the Moroccan border in two days. The Spanish government described the episode as requiring an exceptional operational and humanitarian response. Juan Jesús Vivas, president of the Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta, faced the most severe crisis of his 26-year tenure as government officials and political leaders arrived from Madrid and beyond to assess the situation. In a territory of approximately 83,000 residents, the reported influx put extraordinary pressure on local services. It disrupted the city’s summer and forced Vivas to put personal milestones, including meeting his newborn grandson in Málaga, on hold.
By October, nearly three months after the crossings, Vivas said Ceuta had still not returned to normality. He estimated that about 15,000 people who entered during the July episode remained in the city, basing the figure partly on September water consumption, which he said was 20% higher than a year earlier. He said that between 25,000 and 30,000 people had remained after the first return operations. These were estimates, not a published individual administrative count. “If 15,000 are still here today, there is no question of normality,” Vivas said, warning that the city had no defined timetable for resolving the crisis.
Government figures cited in October put returns to Morocco from 10 August onward at 12,678: 12,142 voluntary returns and 536 expulsions. The two categories involve distinct procedures and safeguards. Vivas disputed how departures were being handled, arguing that there had been no returns through an administrative resolution under Spain’s immigration law. The gap between the government’s reported figures and the city’s estimate of the number still present has become part of a wider political dispute over the scale of the continuing emergency and the legal basis for departures.
The pressure is particularly acute in the care of unaccompanied minors. Vivas said their number had risen from 180 before the late-July events to approximately 3,300 afterward, an increase of about 3,120. He argued that Ceuta’s existing legal and administrative arrangements were inadequate to manage a change of that scale. The figures do not establish that every additional minor arrived during the two days of crossings, but the issue has become a basic point of contention between the city and national authorities.
In September, Vivas submitted a preliminary request concerning the state’s actions after the crossings. The Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory formally responded to his request about measures taken by the General State Administration. The exchange reflects a dispute over responsibility for border control and returns, alongside questions about reception arrangements and public order. Vivas framed the crisis around constitutional duties to protect the border and uphold Ceuta’s territorial integrity and Spain’s sovereignty, and accused Pedro Sánchez’s government of failing to meet them.
Vivas, 73, has become a constant presence on Spanish television, often appearing alongside basic figures, including the King and national party leaders. His public image as a moderate within the Partido Popular has shifted in response to the city’s anxiety. Where he once opposed extending the border barrier into the sea, he now supports tougher measures to prevent further crossings. His rhetoric has hardened. He has called for the removal through the same border point, El Tarajal, of those who entered during the July influx. He has said the influx could and should have been prevented, while criticizing what he sees as the government’s failure to set a clear endpoint for the return process.
Ceuta’s unique position, surrounded by Morocco and serving as a European frontier, has always required delicate political navigation. Vivas’s approach has long emphasized coexistence among the city’s diverse communities, captured in his message of peaceful living regardless of faith or tradition. Since taking office in 2001, initially through a no-confidence motion, he has maintained a strong grip on local politics, winning multiple absolute and simple majorities and attending impressive city events, from religious festivals to supermarket openings.
The current crisis has exposed both strengths and vulnerabilities. Supporters point to Vivas’s dedication and ability to act decisively, while critics argue that he is using the situation to restore waning authority, especially as far-right parties gain ground. The opposition accuses him of manipulating the narrative to cast himself as Ceuta’s savior and moving from a centrist stance to a harder line. Public celebrations have been canceled, and beaches have become makeshift camps for migrants. Vivas has also warned that prolonged uncertainty and pressure on residents could have serious mental-health consequences, particularly for people with disabilities.
Behind the scenes, Vivas is described as deeply committed to Ceuta, putting local interests first even when they conflict with his party’s national leadership. Photos with Spanish presidents from across the political spectrum hang on his office walls, a rarity among local leaders. Yet some close to him say he is disappointed by the lack of national support during the crisis, particularly from the current government.
Opponents also point to a network of municipal subsidies and aid built up over decades, suggesting it has helped maintain political loyalty. In recent elections, Vivas answered criticism over neglected neighborhoods by remunicipalizing the city’s cleaning service. The move upended the campaign and led to the departure of a basic socialist rival.
Despite his age, Vivas remains active, though observers note his absences from some public events. The crisis has revitalized his leadership, recalling earlier moments of external pressure on Ceuta, such as the Perejil Island incident. The city’s proximity to Morocco continues to shape its challenges and opportunities. Tourism is promoted as a basic sector, while fiscal advantages set Ceuta apart from mainland Spain.
Ceuta is not alone in facing local crises or the pressures they place on communities. Similar dynamics have emerged elsewhere in Spain, where environmental concerns intersect with social and political pressures, including in Mijas, where activists have spent decades opposing wildfires and urban expansion, as detailed in a recent report on grassroots efforts in the Costa del Sol.
