Migrants who crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta said hunger, exhaustion and hostility contributed to their decision to return to Morocco, according to a Reuters report. Their accounts came after a mass border breach that brought a large number of people into the Spanish territory and triggered a rapid response from authorities.
Spain said that most of the migrants who entered Ceuta had since left, with many returning to Morocco. Other reports described exhausted people remaining in the enclave, including some who found shelter on a beach as the situation developed. The departures and returns unfolded amid growing uncertainty over the migrants’ legal status and their prospects on either side of the border.
The episode has intensified political and diplomatic fallout between Spain and Morocco. Reports said Spain pushed migrants back across the border, while the treatment of those who entered Ceuta drew wider scrutiny. The crisis also became part of a broader political debate in Spain, where far-right parties and anti-immigration positions have gained greater influence over discussions of migration.
The events in Ceuta highlighted the vulnerability of migrants caught between border controls, difficult living conditions and shifting political pressure. While Spain emphasized that most of those who entered had left, reports of hunger, hostility and people remaining without stable shelter underscored the humanitarian dimension of the crisis.