Casablanca – Around 70,000 of the estimated 72,000 migrants who crossed from Morocco into occupied Ceuta have now returned to Morocco, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Grande-Marlaska said Spanish authorities are still processing the cases of those who remain in Ceuta. He said people who do not have the legal right to stay in Spain will also be returned to Morocco.
The announcement comes as humanitarian organizations and local reception services in Ceuta continue to warn that the crisis is far from over. Although the number of people in the city has fallen sharply, shelters and aid groups say they remain stretched and are calling on Madrid for additional financial support to maintain emergency accommodation and prepare for further arrivals if needed.
Local organizations have argued that Ceuta’s reception system has repeatedly been pushed beyond its limits during migration spikes and requires stronger long-term funding rather than temporary emergency measures.
According to El Pais, aid workers reported that reception facilities were already operating under severe pressure before the mass crossings, with migrants sleeping outside the Temporary Stay Center for Immigrants because available spaces had run out. Humanitarian groups said the situation demonstrated the need to expand reception and social assistance services instead of responding only during periods of crisis.
Spanish authorities have said they will continue processing the remaining cases individually while maintaining cooperation with Morocco on returns. Meanwhile, the Spanish government has also announced additional funding to help Ceuta care for unaccompanied migrant children who remain there after the mass crossings.
