Ceuta: The president of Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, has urged the EU to take stronger action to protect the territory's borders and help it recover from a mass influx of migrants, advocating for a special EU status for Ceuta and neighboring Melilla. Vivas, speaking alongside Javier Zarzalejos, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), emphasized the unprecedented pressure on Ceuta's public services, economy, and social cohesion due to the scale of migrant arrivals.

According to Anadolu Agency, Vivas described Ceuta as a "pressure cooker which can explode at any minute," calling the situation "unsustainable." He urged the EU to increase its presence at the Spanish-Moroccan border through the European border agency, Frontex, and the European Union Agency for Asylum. Vivas also requested European institutions to provide funding for infrastructure to reinforce the border and support Ceuta in managing the consequences of the mass crossings.

Vivas argued that Ceuta and Melilla face unique circumstances as the EU's only land borders with Africa, and he called for Brussels to explicitly recognize these challenges. He proposed a specific framework to provide greater access to EU funding, state-aid flexibility, and other support forms. Vivas emphasized the need for "special treatment which can be a lever to ensure stability, security, and the prosperity of Ceuta and Melilla."

In addition to calling for EU intervention, Vivas accused Morocco of using migration pressure to exert political and economic pressure on Ceuta and Melilla. He alleged that Moroccan authorities either knew about or were complicit in the organization of the mass crossings, citing the scale of the movement, Spanish police reports, and previous border incidents. Vivas questioned, "Could that be done without Morocco knowing about it?" He also pointed to reports alleging that Moroccan security personnel helped direct migrants toward the border.

While Vivas's allegations against Morocco are strong, the Spanish government has taken a more cautious stance. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated there is no solid evidence that Rabat orchestrated the mass arrival, and Spanish intelligence assessments had not established Moroccan involvement at that stage. Sanchez assured that Madrid would respond firmly if evidence of deliberate involvement emerged.

The mass crossings resulted in tens of thousands of people entering Ceuta from Morocco from July 30 to 31, according to Spanish government estimates. Authorities estimated that several thousand migrants remained in Ceuta after the initial crossings, though Vivas acknowledged the lack of precise figures for those who entered and remained.