Agadir – Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has called for an end to violence in Ceuta following days of social unrest linked to the recent mass arrival of migrants, while announcing plans to seek €35.6 million in European funding for additional border infrastructure.
Speaking before the Interior Committee of the Congress of Deputies on Friday, Grande-Marlaska said the requested funding would finance the extension of border breakwaters at El Tarajal and Benzú, alongside other “extraordinary” structural measures aimed at preventing future mass entries similar to the one recorded on July 30.
The minister also praised what he described as Morocco’s “effective” cooperation in managing the migration situation.
His remarks came after several days of growing tensions in the occupied city, where some residents staged protests over the presence of migrants in public spaces and attempted to disrupt the distribution of food. Some protesters also entered migrant settlements, damaged belongings, and set some items on fire, prompting police intervention.
“I call for calm and an end to all forms of violence because violence is not the way to solve any problem with this complexity, and with absolute empathy for the citizens of Ceuta,” Grande-Marlaska said.
The minister added that authorities are working to restore normality in the city while reinforcing measures designed to manage future migration pressures.
His comments followed remarks by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who has described cooperation with Morocco as “essential.”
While Spain and Morocco continue to hold differing positions over the sovereignty of the two North African enclaves Ceuta and Melilla, Albares has repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining close coordination with Rabat on migration and security.