Spain clarifies 72,000 migrant figure for Ceuta, focus shifts to unaccompanied minors

Spain's government has clarified that the official number of migrants who entered the autonomous city of Ceuta irregularly on July 30 and 31 remains at 72,000. This clarification came after the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, initially mentioned a figure of 80,000 people.

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the mention of the minister sought to dimension the scale of the border contingency by equating it with the total resident population of the enclave, which is close to 80,000 inhabitants.

Torres's department explained that the higher number was used to contextualize the scale of the border contingency, comparing it to the total resident population of Ceuta, which is around 80,000. The minister had also stated that the swift return of most adult migrants to Morocco prevented an absolute institutional and operational collapse in the city.

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the rapid return to Morocco of the vast majority of adults who crossed the border prevented the autonomous city from entering a situation of absolute institutional and operational collapse.

However, the primary focus for authorities is now the protocol for attending to unaccompanied minors remaining in Ceuta. Approximately 1,400 minors have been registered and identified so far, with this number expected to adjust as security forces and social services continue their assessments.

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this registration is still open and the final figure will continue to be adjusted as the assessments by security forces and social services progress.

This situation has created a new diplomatic front between Madrid and Rabat. Morocco's Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, holds Spain responsible for the presence of these minors on Spanish territory and is demanding their immediate return through formal legal and political channels. Ouahbi emphasized the urgency of reaching a swift bilateral agreement that prioritizes the children's best interests and maintains diplomatic cooperation.

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his government will formally request the return of unaccompanied minors through the corresponding legal and political channels, emphasizing the urgency of reaching an expeditious bilateral agreement that safeguards the best interests of the children and preserves the framework of diplomatic cooperation between the two nations.