MEPs report inhumane treatment of migrants in Ceuta after mass influx
Three European Parliament members have described the humanitarian situation in Spain's Ceuta as grim two months after a mass influx of migrants. They report ongoing inhumane treatment including torture by military forces and warn against turning Ceuta into an open-air refugee camp. The Spanish government has launched an internal probe into alleged abuses.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1)
Three European Parliament members have described the humanitarian situation in Spain’s African enclave of Ceuta as “grim” during a press conference in Brussels on 30 September 2026, following a fact-finding mission.
Two months after tens of thousands of migrants entered Ceuta, an estimated 5,000, including 1,200 minors, remain in the city, straining local resources. Most migrants were returned to Morocco, but thousands remain trapped in makeshift emergency camps.
MEP Estrella Galán warned that Ceuta cannot become an open-air refugee camp or a place where rights are reduced. Jaume Asens, another MEP, reported patterns of torture and inhumane treatment by Spanish military forces, including night sweeps with beatings, theft, forced hair shaving, and humiliations such as forcing migrants to kiss Christian crosses or the Spanish flag.
These allegations echo Amnesty International’s accusations against Spain’s armed forces for cruel and degrading treatment of migrants. In response, the Spanish government ordered an internal military probe to identify individuals responsible for the alleged abuses.
The crisis has also caused tension among Ceuta’s population of about 84,000, with local authorities criticizing the central government for ignoring warning signs before the border breach.