Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska visited Ceuta on Thursday to examine border infrastructure and a new sea barrier aimed at preventing people from swimming into the city. Security forces in the exclave have been strengthened with 300 additional police officers and 2,000 soldiers.
“This is to deter anyone attempting to enter Ceuta and Melilla irregularly,” Grande-Marlaska stated. “None will remain in Ceuta, none will reach the Iberian Peninsula, and none will be granted legal status.”
The potential mass crossing has been highlighted by opponents of Spain’s migration policies.
Austria’s conservative Europe, Integration and Family Minister Claudia Bauer previously referred to the expected August 15 surge in a statement, urging Madrid to “immediately and significantly reinforce border protection in its African enclaves and ensure that it holds firm.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration also mentioned the possibility of a mid-August influx while defending its decision to continue border checks on travelers from Spain.
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