Residents of the Spanish autonomous city took to the streets demanding government action after a massive influx of migrants. The mayor calls on the central government to take command and provide space for up to 11,000 migrants.
Several thousand residents of the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta protested on Saturday evening, August 9, 2026, demanding urgent action from authorities to address the migrant crisis that escalated in late July. Protesters gathered in the city square under the slogan "Enough. Ceuta does not surrender."
Estimates of the number of participants vary: organizers claim around 10,000 people attended, while police report approximately 5,000, according to the EFE news agency. The mayor-president of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, also attended the protest.
Those gathered chanted slogans calling for the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. During the rally, a statement was read emphasizing that "Ceuta cannot cope alone with a situation that far exceeds its capabilities and affects all of Spain and Europe."
The day after the protest, on Monday, August 10, Mayor Vivas asked the central government in Madrid to establish a "unified command" and provide "space" where migrants could be held. According to El Mundo, Vivas insists on a solution for up to 11,000 migrants who could remain in the city.
The crisis erupted in late July 2026 when tens of thousands of migrants arrived in Ceuta by swimming and walking, bypassing the breakwater that separates the city from Morocco. According to the Spanish government, around 72,000 migrants entered the city, of whom approximately 70,000 have already returned to Morocco.
In response to the crisis, Madrid deployed military personnel to help maintain security in Ceuta, but pressure on local resources continues to grow, and public discontent culminated in the massive protest.
