Marrakech \u2013 Spain\u2019s Defense Ministry has approved the transfer of more than 150 soldiers from the Canary Islands Command to the occupied city of Ceuta, reinforcing the Spanish Army amid a migration crisis that has gripped the enclave since July 30.<\/p>\n
The Defense Staff, known by its Spanish acronym EMAD, announced<\/a> the move Thursday through a post on X. The new personnel will join Army units already stationed in the occupied city. According to EMAD, \u201cmore than 150 soldiers from the Canary Islands Command are joining the Army capabilities already deployed in Ceuta.\u201d<\/p>\n The authorization came from the department led by Minister Margarita Robles. It clears the way for fresh units of the Army to fold into the contingent currently operating in the enclave. The reinforcement follows the mass entry of migrants at the end of July, an event that had already prompted an earlier mobilization of troops.<\/p>\n EMAD framed the deployment as part of a continuing support role. \u201cThe Armed Forces continue providing support to the State\u2019s Security Forces and Corps in different parts of the autonomous city,\u201d the body reported. The added soldiers give the military contingent new capabilities to carry on those tasks.<\/p>\n The latest arrivals build on an already substantial presence. The General Command of Ceuta, or COMGECEU, currently fields more than 2,500 Army soldiers. They are distributed across units of infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, logistics, and command support, a structure meant to react quickly to emergencies and to work alongside civilian authorities when needed.<\/p>\n At the core of that force sit several established units. They include the Tercio \u201cDuque de Alba\u201d 2nd of the Legion, the Ceuta Regulars Group No. 54, the \u201cMontesa\u201d Cavalry Regiment No. 3, the Mixed Artillery Regiment No. 30, the Engineers Regiment No. 7, the Logistics Unit No. 23, and the General Headquarters Battalion of the General Command.<\/p>\n These units routinely take part in exercises, maneuvers, and national and international operations, on top of assisting civil administrations.<\/p>\n The troop movement unfolds alongside other measures tied to the crisis. Defense and Interior authorities have canceled the leave of soldiers and civil guards in Ceuta amid the risk of a \u201cborder assault.\u201d At the same time, the Health<\/a> Ministry has appealed to the solidarity of Spain\u2019s autonomous communities to supply vaccines to migrants who refuse to leave the enclave.<\/p>\n