Migrant camp set on fire in Ceuta as migration tensions escalate in Spain
Protesters clashed with police and burned a migrant camp in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, intensifying political pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez ahead of next year’s general elections and reigniting broader European debates over border management.
Protesters set fire to a migrant camp and clashed with police in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday. The unrest occurs exactly one month after a massive influx of migrants crossed from Morocco into the territory.
Spanish television broadcast footage of demonstrators on a beach throwing objects into the flames. As police pushed the protesters back, migrants were forced to retreat toward a nearby pier.
Earlier in the day, approximately 70 individuals attacked a military vehicle with stones and other objects, a police spokesman in Ceuta told AFP. Demonstrators waving Spanish flags also attempted to block Red Cross vehicles from delivering food to migrants, shouting "They should leave" and "Out with the Red Cross."
The current tension stems from a July event where more than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta irregularly, hoping to reach the European mainland. Although the vast majority have since returned to Morocco, several thousand remain living on the streets or beaches.
The exact number of remaining migrants is contested. The Spanish government in Madrid estimates the figure is below 7,000, while local Ceuta officials insist it is at least 10,000 in a city with a total population of roughly 84,000.
This crisis has placed the Spanish government under severe political strain ahead of next year’s general elections. The conservative opposition is actively accusing left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of failing to act and abandoning the enclave’s residents, while demanding a tougher stance on migration.
In response, Madrid has accelerated efforts to identify migrants and determine who will be repatriated to Morocco. The government also approved additional funding to support unaccompanied minors who qualify for special protection.
Beyond domestic politics, the situation has deepened political divisions within Spain and reignited tensions across the European Union. The July mass influx exposed ongoing fractures within the bloc regarding how to manage external borders and share the responsibility of migration.
