Ceuta president proposes confining migrants in internment center pending expulsion

Ceuta's president, Juan Jesús Vivas, has proposed establishing a closed internment facility to house thousands of migrants. The goal is to restrict their movement while their expulsion from Spain is processed, following a significant border crisis in late July. Vivas, a member of the conservative Popular Party, stated that the number of migrants in the streets overwhelms local resources. He urged the Spanish government to implement extraordinary containment measures.

"We must establish a space that acts as a center for the internment of foreigners, where these individuals can be housed and remain confined," Vivas said. "Their freedom of movement will be restricted for objective and justifiable reasons until expulsion proceedings are completed."

Local administration figures indicate that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain in Ceuta from an estimated 72,000 who entered irregularly from Morocco. Central government estimates suggest around 70,000 have already been returned to Morocco.

The proposal follows a Sunday protest in Ceuta, where thousands of residents demanded immediate solutions to the strain on public services. Vivas praised the protest as exemplary. However, Spain's central government, represented by Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres, did not support the confinement idea. Torres expressed solidarity with Ceuta and confirmed reinforcements for public order but avoided discussing mass deportations or closed centers. He instead highlighted the need to coordinate family reunification for hundreds of unaccompanied minors in the enclave.