Spanish King Visits Ceuta for First Time in 19 Years Amid Migration Crisis

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia arrived in Ceuta on Tuesday for the first royal visit to the Spanish North African enclave in nearly two decades, marking a symbolic show of support as the territory continues managing fallout from a July migration surge. The visit, which will extend to Melilla on Wednesday, comes amid heightened diplomatic tension with Morocco following the arrival of approximately 70,000–80,000 migrants from Morocco in late July, an event that resulted in at least 140 deaths at sea.

During his visit, Felipe VI delivered a speech emphasizing Ceuta's status as integral to Spain and calling for "good faith" from Morocco in future relations. "Ceuta is Spain. Therefore its frontier ... is a European border, and any threat to it is a threat to the European Union," he said to applause from local civil society figures. The king acknowledged the tragedy of the crossing, stating it was "important and necessary that once again we express our sympathy for all the people who died in such a tragic and senseless manner." The royal couple visited the Vicente Aleixandre School in a neighborhood historically home to Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu communities, and attended a memorial ceremony at Sidi Embarek Muslim cemetery where dozens of unidentified migrants were buried.

The majority of the estimated 80,000 migrants who entered Ceuta have since been repatriated, though estimates of those remaining vary widely—from 7,400 according to central government housing capacity to around 15,000 according to Ceuta's mayor. Many migrants, including minors, have faced poor living conditions, with some sleeping rough on beaches until makeshift shelters were erected last month. The Spanish government is investigating allegations of mistreatment and torture by soldiers, detailed in an Amnesty International report.

Local officials, including Ceuta's Mayor Juan Jesús Vivas, have framed the crisis as a national security emergency and called for the expulsion of remaining migrants. Felipe received the key to the city and was greeted by crowds waving Spanish flags. The royal couple wrote in Ceuta's book of honor that their visit—"long awaited and long overdue"—demonstrated "the commitment of the entire country to the future of the people of Ceuta."

Morocco does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla and has reiterated claims to both territories amid the crisis. The Spanish government confirmed that Moroccan military vessels entered Spanish waters off Ceuta during the July crossing but has maintained there is no proof Morocco knowingly orchestrated the mass movement. Morocco's Foreign Ministry has not publicly responded to the royal visit. The crisis has become a significant domestic political issue ahead of upcoming Spanish elections, with immigration set as a key campaign topic.