The Spanish Council of Ministers on 20 October confirmed that 12,705 people who entered the North-African enclave of Ceuta in the mass crossings of 30-31 July have already left Spanish territory and re-entered Morocco. Of that figure, 12,142 were classified as voluntary returns under Spain’s immigration law while 563 were formal expulsions linked to criminal or administrative offences. Social Security and Migration Minister Elma Saiz presented the numbers at a press conference, adding that 3,331 unaccompanied minors remain under the protection of Spain’s child-welfare system and that 63 family-reunification files have been sent to Rabat. According to Saiz, the Interior Ministry has deployed more than 5,200 police officers and carried out over 11,000 patrols in Ceuta since August. Temporary accommodation capacity has been expanded to 7,477 beds, and 83 % of the migrants still in the enclave have been vaccinated. Health authorities report that only 20 of Ceuta’s 211 hospital beds are occupied by migrants, an indicator that the health burden “remains manageable”. The update is the most detailed snapshot to date of Spain’s efforts to resolve the crisis that erupted when an estimated 32,000 mostly sub-Saharan and Moroccan nationals swam or climbed into the city over two days in July. Madrid argues that the figures demonstrate “steady progress” and “close operational cooperation” with Moroccan counterparts, whose border police facilitate re-admissions at the Tarajal crossing. For corporate mobility managers, the data confirm that the Spanish government continues to prioritise voluntary departures over forcible removals, a stance that may reduce reputational risk but prolong uncertainty for companies with staff or dependants caught in Ceuta’s reception system. Employers moving personnel to mainland Spain should continue to anticipate sporadic controls on ferries and flights from the enclave until at least 22 October, the date on which Spain’s temporary Schengen re-instatement with Italy is currently scheduled to lapse. Practically, the announcement signals that work-permit or family-reunification applications involving Moroccan nationals may face shorter processing times in coming weeks as resources are freed from Ceuta. However, the government has not ruled out further extensions of internal border checks if arrivals resume, so contingency travel plans remain advisable.
Source: Cadena SER
