Thousands protest in Spain as Ceuta’s migration crisis festers a month on

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and The Associated Press. Published On 2 Sep 20262 Sep 2026.

Key points

• Ceuta's regional leader, Juan Jesus Vivas, represents Spain's conservative Popular Party and has called the crisis a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity".
• The protests fell on Ceuta Day, a local holiday that marks the Portuguese takeover of the North African city in the 15th century.
• Roughly 50, 000 individuals gathered in Madrid alone on Wednesday.
• Among those who remain stranded in the Spanish territory is Otman Ianaya, 40.
• Madrid has pledged 309 million euros ($357m) in aid for Ceuta.

Thousands of protesters have rallied throughout Spain against the ongoing migrant crisis in Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on the African coast.

Roughly 50, 000 individuals gathered in Madrid alone on Wednesday. In Ceuta itself, residents draped Spanish and city flags over their shoulders.

"Expel the invaders" and "Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended" were among the crowd's chants.

In practice, the protests fell on Ceuta Day, a local holiday that marks the Portuguese takeover of the North African city in the 15th century.

They additionally come a little more than a month after more than 70, 000 migrants and asylum seekers crossed en masse from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31. The deadly surge killed at least 80 individuals.

While plenty of of the arrivals have returned to Africa, some remain. Estimates vary as to how plenty of. The Spanish administration places the figure at concerning 5, 000 individuals, including 1, 200 minors, but local statistics have a higher count.

Among those who remain stranded in the Spanish territory is Otman Ianaya, 40. He swam to Ceuta with his wife and two young daughters, searching for better prospects.

"There is no work in Morocco, " he informed the news agency AFP. "I want to build a future in my life."

Some migrants and asylum seekers sleep on Ceuta's beaches. The Spanish administration has worked to expand emergency housing and rise funds to social services, but critics have blasted the effort as inadequate to answer the needs of so plenty of residents.

Notably, the strain has sparked isolated instances of violence, including fights, the stoning of a military patrol and reports of sexual assault.

Residents in Ceuta have additionally clashed with police and burned items belonging to migrants and asylum seekers, in protest of the influx of residents.

"The situation has been chaotic, so much so that you can't go out onto the street, " remarked Gema Guillen, a protester. The July incident has additionally underscored political schisms.

Meanwhile, Spain's territorial policy minister, Angel Victor Torres, has accused the conservative and far-right opposition of exploiting the crisis "to attack the government of Spain" instead of helping the city.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has blamed the surge on a misread court ruling and online disinformation that he remarked encouraged residents to cross the border.

Though he did not offer proof, instead citing findings from Spain's intelligence community, he additionally stated negative coverage of the crisis has since been amplified by Russian and Israeli-linked accounts. Madrid has pledged 309 million euros ($357m) in aid for Ceuta.

While some migrants are looking for economic opportunities, others are seeking asylum to escape alleged persecution back home, against the backdrop of the standoff.

"They are people in a vulnerable situation; we need to have a little bit of empathy, " remarked Halima Ahmed of Luna Blanca, a nongovernmental organisation that distributes food and aid to migrants and asylum seekers.

"People are tired, people are fed up. But that does not justify any type of violence, " she continued.

Taken together, the developments around thousands protest in Spain as Ceuta's migration crisis festers a month on point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.