Ceuta and Melilla on alert as migrant surge fears rise, despite EU-wide entry drop

European border security is on high alert for Ceuta and Melilla, as social media calls for a new migrant surge on August 15th persist. Both Morocco and Spain have heavily fortified the border crossings and surrounding areas, fearing a repeat of the mass arrivals seen on July 30th.

However, new data from Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, reveals a significant overall decline in irregular entries into the EU. For the first seven months of 2026, irregular entries fell by 37% to 61,000. This contrasts sharply with the western Mediterranean route to Spain, which experienced an increase of 37% in crossings, totaling 11,217 during the same period. These Frontex figures do not account for the recent events in Ceuta and Melilla.

Morocco has deployed hundreds of police, gendarmes, and military personnel to secure the Fnideq area, closing parts of the beach and stationing naval units offshore. Spain has bolstered its police and civil guard presence to approximately 1,600, with 2,000 military personnel in support. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned that no one attempting to cross would be allowed to stay in Ceuta, transferred to the mainland, or regularized.

Meanwhile, Italy continues its dispute with Germany over the return of migrants under the Dublin Regulation. Italy has officially informed Germany that it will not accept the return of certain migrants who passed through Italy, particularly those arriving before June 12th. Germany has not yet provided a formal response. Italy also maintains its temporary suspension of Schengen for Spain, citing national security risks, which will only be lifted when these risks are deemed fully excluded.