The Spanish government has updated its count of unaccompanied migrant minors in Ceuta to 1,527 and says family reunification in Morocco is its absolute priority, after the mass border crossing in late July. Presidency Minister Félix Bolaños said Madrid and Rabat agree all children should return to their families, following a call with his Moroccan counterpart focused on identity verification.
Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi demanded Spain return the unaccompanied minors, blaming Spanish authorities for their situation. Madrid responded that its immigration law requires treating unaccompanied foreign minors as a vulnerable group, and a 2007 bilateral agreement mandates repatriations follow Spanish legislation.
Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas, who estimates 8,000 to 11,000 migrants remain in the enclave, requested a detention centre and unified command during a meeting with Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres. Bolaños condemned Vox leaders' remarks about "hunting humans" as hate speech and blamed the opposition Popular Party for enabling the far-right's agenda.