A Moroccan state human rights body has sharply criticized Spanish police and Ceuta authorities over their handling of the mass migrant influx at the end of July. In a preliminary report released on August 8, the Consejo Nacional de Derechos Humanos de Marruecos (CNDH) alleges that Spanish security forces mistreated and physically assaulted migrants who entered Ceuta en masse on July 30 and 31. Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, later cited more than 72,000 irregular entries on July 30, a figure also reported by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Ceuta’s government later produced an internal estimate of 96,058 entries across the July episode. It described this as a cumulative administrative estimate, not a verified count of unique individuals. The scale put exceptional pressure on the enclave’s border and reception systems, including services for minors and young people.
The CNDH report, which is not yet final, says it collected consistent testimonies from returnees to Morocco describing abuse by Spanish police, particularly in areas without surveillance cameras. Information from the findings, minors were reportedly targeted by extremist groups and subjected to insults, physical attacks and stigmatization. The report also documents cases in which Spanish and Moroccan authorities allegedly violated migrants’ physical integrity, along with incidents involving Moroccan security personnel. Thousands of people, including unaccompanied minors, remained in Ceuta for weeks after most arrivals returned to Morocco within hours, according to the FRA’s account of the episode.
One of the most contentious allegations is that Ceuta’s local authorities ordered restaurants, cafés and shops to close during the crisis, depriving migrants of impressive services. Business owners and the local business association, but, say the closures were voluntary and followed a recommendation from the Confederación de Empresarios de Ceuta, not a direct government order.
The CNDH also points to social media’s role in fueling the migration wave. Its monitoring team reviewed posts from 23 social media groups with more than 1 million members and found that misleading content about migration and Spanish policy spread rapidly. Five major groups were deleted on July 30, the day the migrant influx peaked. The report cites viral images as symbols that galvanized further crossings, including one of a young Moroccan woman making a victory sign after entering Ceuta. Arrivals reportedly took place primarily by sea, with people swimming around border barriers from Morocco into Spanish territory.
The CNDH draws parallels with its 2022 report on the deadly Melilla border incident, in which at least 23 migrants died. At the time, the agency blamed Spanish authorities for closing border gates. Later investigations by NGOs and media, including an analysis by RUSSPAIN, indicated that Moroccan forces initially allowed the crossing, then confined migrants in a restricted area, contributing to the tragedy. Videos from the incident showed Moroccan officers using force and tear gas in a closed space. People died from suffocation and crushing.
After the Melilla case, the Moroccan prosecutor’s office closed the investigation, citing a lack of evidence of criminal conduct and concluding that Moroccan agents had used proportional force. The Ceuta episode has brought renewed scrutiny of both countries’ border practices. Spain’s government later said it had mobilized additional reception resources and created 7,000 places. La Moncloa reported that more than 12,700 people returned to Morocco between August 10 and October 20, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said people who did not qualify for international protection would have to return. Sánchez has also said Spain needed Morocco’s cooperation to prevent large-scale arrivals to Ceuta and Melilla.
Rights groups have challenged the government’s account of the returns. Reuters reported that eight organizations, including Oxfam and Amnesty International, complained to Spain’s ombudsman about alleged forced returns, inadequate interpretation and a lack of legal assistance. Asociación Elin said migrants from Sudan and Chad were summoned by police on September 24 and 25, then deported without warning. These claims were submitted as allegations, not established judicial findings. The complaint described the alleged conduct as “grave rights violations,” in contrast with the government’s description of the returns as voluntary.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish enclaves bordering Morocco, have long been focal points for irregular migration into the European Union. The rapid arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in July 2026 overwhelmed local infrastructure and prompted emergency measures. Spanish authorities have defended their response as necessary to manage the scale of the arrivals. Disputes over the totals, migrants’ treatment and the circumstances of returns continue to shape debate over responsibility and humanitarian standards at Spain’s North African frontiers.
