Spain has formally requested support from the European Union’s Frontex border agency to register and identify migrants in the North African enclave of Ceuta, nearly a month after at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco in a single day.
The request, submitted by Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to Beate Gminder, Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs at the European Commission, follows escalating unrest in Ceuta. Authorities estimate between 5,000 and 8,000 migrants remain in the territory, straining local resources and prompting protests from residents demanding their removal.
Tensions have intensified in recent weeks, including an incident on Thursday in which migrants threw stones at an army vehicle, injuring one soldier and four migrants. Spanish police detained 12 individuals in connection with the attack, with 11 subsequently expelled from Ceuta, according to court sources cited by El País.
The surge in arrivals began on July 30, when more than 72,000 people crossed the border from Morocco, overwhelming local authorities. Since then, Spanish authorities have reported 82 migrant deaths on the Spanish side of the border, while Morocco has confirmed 14 additional fatalities. At Trampolin Beach, where many migrants initially camped, tensions have flared as residents set fire to migrant tents.
Madrid has asked Frontex to deploy 10 additional agents to assist with the registration and identification process, aiming to address the humanitarian and logistical challenges posed by the influx.
