MADRID, Spain — Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Friday that nearly all migrants who recently entered the North African enclave of Ceuta have returned to Morocco, rejecting claims of uncontrolled border crossings and describing such reports as deliberate misinformation.
In a statement posted on social media, Albares said security measures at the Ceuta and Melilla borders remain fully operational. He stressed that anyone traveling from the two Spanish enclaves to mainland Spain must pass through police identification checkpoints, adding that the integrity of the Schengen Area remains intact.
Spanish authorities also reinforced border security following the recent influx of migrants. According to Spanish news agency EFE, hundreds of migrants began returning to Morocco under a bilateral repatriation agreement after finding limited access to essential services, including shops and supermarkets, in Ceuta.
To prevent additional sea arrivals, Spanish security forces deployed the Civil Guard alongside the Army’s Regulares Group No. 54 to the Tarajal beach area, a key crossing point on the Ceuta-Morocco border.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the large-scale arrivals, describing them as “an attack” and “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.” He pledged that the government would restore normal conditions at the border as quickly as possible.
Spanish authorities said the migration crisis has resulted in at least 57 deaths, underscoring the humanitarian and security challenges facing the border region.