Morocco has sharply increased security around the Ceuta border ahead of the legislative elections on Wednesday 23 September, after online messages warned of or encouraged a possible new mass crossing on Saturday. Spanish authorities are also dealing with migrant minors in the city and people who arrived during the July crisis. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares acknowledged the online calls, but said there was no sign Morocco was relaxing border controls because of the election.
Hundreds of uniformed personnel and police vehicles are being deployed around Castillejos, with water tankers also present, information from El País. Spanish media reports said at least 3,000 Moroccan security personnel had been deployed around Ceuta as a preventive measure. The border has become a focus in the final days before the vote. The deployment is meant to prevent another irregular movement, not respond to a confirmed new crossing. El Confidencial and other Spanish media also described it as a preventive measure.
Spain's embassy in Rabat has used its X account to challenge what it calls disinformation. It says entering Spain irregularly through Ceuta or Melilla does not automatically give someone the right to reach the mainland or remain in Spain. Nor does it grant free movement across the European Union.
The embassy also referred to a recent Supreme Court ruling on people who arrive by sea. It said the ruling sets out a procedure for those cases. It does not change the Immigration Law, declare pushbacks at the border illegal or prevent returns.
The warning addresses a point that online messages may leave out. Ceuta and Melilla use a two-stage control system: the first check takes place at the border with Morocco, while the second follows Schengen rules when people leave for the mainland by sea or air. Passengers must identify themselves to the Policía Nacional before boarding.
The clarification comes as between 500 and 700 migrant minors are still living on Ceuta's streets, information from Youth and Childhood Minister Sira Rego. In an interview with the SER, she said most wanted to remain in Spain and would be able to do so because Spanish law protects them, particularly children fleeing severe violence. Reports in Ara and El Constitucional also describe the authorities' ongoing work to register and process their cases. Another report counted 2,048 registered minors, while some case files only began processing in mid-September.
Rego said the first family reunification files should be ready within days. Morocco's response will be decisive for those applications. The minister said Spain had already processed 600 cases without receiving an answer. She described the lack of a regular response from Moroccan authorities as an obstacle to reunifications. Morocco has publicly rejected responsibility for the situation involving minors in Ceuta, adding to political tension over their transfer and protection.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is travelling to Ceuta to inspect the Centro de Atención Temporal de Extranjeros (CATE), where arrivals from late July are being assessed for asylum procedures or expulsion. He is also due to visit Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil units. The itinerary includes the Oficina de Asilo y Refugio facilities opened in the autonomous city.
This will be his fourth visit since the mass arrivals of 30 and 31 July. Thousands of migrants are still sleeping on beaches or staying on the streets. The crisis has also sharpened the political dispute between the central government and the administration led by Juan Jesús Vivas and the PP. An earlier account detailed another dispute over how the government handled warnings linked to the border surge.
Security concerns also emerged at the port. Several dozen people gathered after members of the collective 'Negu Gorriak/Derecho a Techo' arrived. The group says it wants to provide humanitarian assistance and monitor possible attacks against refugees after the July entry. At least one person was held in a police vehicle. Stones were thrown at at least one vehicle that left under police escort.
On Friday, 1,700 migrants were moved from a beach to Ceuta's port. Reports by Brussels Times and Spain English said Spain had begun transferring people to a new shelter near the port. Capacity remained under pressure, and some migrants later returned to the beaches after reception facilities filled.
