The Government of Spain categorically rejected that the current migration crisis that affected the border cities of Ceuta and Melilla this Thursday is related to the extraordinary migrant regularization process recently approved by Madrid.
According to information gathered by RTVE, government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources described as “false” that people who have managed to enter Spain irregularly in recent days can benefit from that measure. That version, pointed out as having no basis, has been disseminated especially by opposition sectors, such as the far-right VOX.
The Executive branch recalled that the regularization procedure requires strict compliance with very specific requirements. Among these conditions is the obligation to prove residence in Spain before January 1, 2026, and to have remained in the country for at least five continuous months at the time of submitting the application, requirements that are not met by any of the people who crossed the border recently.
According to RTVE and other Spanish media, based on official statements, the authorities consider that this misinterpretation is erroneously linked to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Spain that prohibits the immediate return of people who enter Ceuta and Melilla by swimming, a circumstance that, they claim, has been instrumentalized by mafias and criminal organizations to encourage new waves of vulnerable migrants.
Regarding the relationship with the neighboring country, the same Government sources cited by the press stated that the bilateral relationship with Morocco is “excellent” and that coordination on migration matters is “very intense”.
More Read
You can also read: Thousands of people maintain pressure on the Ceuta border
Likewise, they confirmed that both nations agreed on specific mechanisms for the return of migrants who entered illegally and maintain permanent contact at all institutional levels to strengthen cooperation and channel the situation.
It is not a phenomenon exclusive to Spain
Furthermore, the Executive emphasized that episodes of migratory pressure do not constitute a phenomenon exclusive to Spanish territory, but rather a recurring reality for various European Union states. Faced with this scenario, the government representation defended a management model based on strict respect for Spanish, European, and international legality, as well as the defense of human rights.
More Read
The Spanish Government expressed its gratitude for the support provided by the European Union institutions during the current situation, rejected the demagogic and partisan use of the scenario that the city of Ceuta in particular is going through, and insisted that Spain has always offered its solidarity to other member countries in the face of contingencies of a similar nature.
The Civil Guard estimates that up to 40,000 people could have entered Ceuta irregularly, according to local press reports. Police sources indicated to the Madrid newspaper El País that security forces recovered the bodies of 18 people who attempted to swim into that Spanish town on the North African coast.
