In recent weeks, the Spanish enclave of Ceuta has welcomed Palestinian refugees fleeing the war with Israel, according to Spanish security sources. Three of them reportedly swam from the Moroccan coast before applying for asylum in Spain.
On Saturday, seven Moroccan minors entered Ceuta the same way. According to city government figures, the section for unaccompanied minors is currently housing over 480 children, despite an optimal capacity of just 132 places. The overcrowding comes amid a surge in crossing attempts in recent weeks, fueled by favorable weather conditions, particularly dense fog.
Since late July, Ceuta has faced a growing wave of irregular sea crossings, especially by Moroccan migrants, including hundreds of minors, along with adults of various nationalities. In the past two weeks alone, 361 people have entered via land routes, bringing the total since the start of the year to 1,452, a 7.2% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
The minors’ administration, which recorded the arrival of 73 children over a single weekend last month, warns that the current overcrowding makes it difficult to provide adequate care and meet established quality standards. To ease the pressure, 27 Moroccan minors were transferred to mainland Spain on July 28 under a cooperation agreement with the Andalusian regional government, which allows temporary transfers when needed.