Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez has poured cold water on rumours that Morocco is blackmailing his government, telling La Sexta the allegations belong in "a Netflix series" rather than reality. But the political noise is doing little to calm the situation on the ground in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on Morocco's north coast.

The crisis dates back to 30 and 31 July, when more than 70,000 migrants crossed into the city from Morocco in the space of two days, overwhelming local authorities. Months on, thousands of people are still waiting to be identified, with decisions pending on asylum claims and deportation.

Sánchez says the government wants the situation "stabilised" by the end of the year. A special command structure set up to manage the emergency could stay in place until then. Around 10,000 accommodation places are being created, with more than 6,000 expected to be operational within days. Nine in ten of those who entered have already returned to Morocco — roughly 200 people per day — though unaccompanied minors cannot legally be deported, which complicates the picture.

The prime minister firmly denied there is any solid evidence that Rabat orchestrated the crossings, arguing that Moroccan authorities actually alerted Spain to movements towards the border. He also dismissed WhatsApp messages cited as proof of advance warnings, saying they don't constitute evidence. Still, he stopped short of ruling out action against Morocco if involvement were ever proven.

That stance puts him sharply at odds with Ceuta's president, Juan Jesús Vivas, who told Antena 3 the enclave had become "a pressure cooker that could explode at any moment" and called the events "a full-scale invasion" rather than a migration crisis. Vivas said border control should never depend on Morocco and questioned why Madrid publicly thanked Rabat for its cooperation. Spain's main opposition parties, the PP and Vox, have seized on the crisis, and polls show widespread public disapproval of Sánchez's handling of it.

For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: the Ceuta–Morocco border crossing remains volatile. Ceuta is an unusual destination — a slice of Spain on African soil, popular with overland travellers crossing between Morocco and the Iberian peninsula — and anyone planning to pass through should check border status and local advisories before setting off, as closures and disruptions can happen with little warning.

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