Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has declared a humanitarian state of emergency due to a surge in the number of young migrants overflowing its premises, local authorities said on Friday.
The Ceuta government said its facilities for unaccompanied minors were operating at 360 per cent over capacity. Alberto Gaitán, a government spokesperson, told broadcaster Cadena Ser:
“The city of Ceuta, which spans just 18 square kilometers (7 square miles), cannot find new spaces to accommodate them with dignity. We will not allow the city to become a prison for migrants.”
According to official figures, the number of irregular migrants arriving in Ceuta has increased six times this year compared to 2023.
In response to the crisis, Ceuta’s government held an emergency meeting on Thursday night and announced plans to ask Madrid for more resources and to accept more migrants on the Spanish mainland.
The Canary Islands are also struggling with a migrant crisis: due to overcrowding in specialised shelters, they need to urgently relocate at least 3,000 of the 6,000 young migrants currently in them.
Between January 1 and July 31 this year, almost 30,000 migrants reached Spain illegally by land or sea, an 80% increase on the previous year. Nearly 21,500 arrived in the Canary Islands alone.
