Spanish monarchs set to tour Ceuta and Melilla amid migration tensions
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will travel to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla later this month, aiming to address the recent migration surge.
Sources from the Casa del Rey and the central government have announced that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will tour Ceuta and then Melilla in the coming weeks, ending a period of uncertainty about the itinerary. The announcement was made shortly before the king opened the XII Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum in the Congress of Deputies alongside Francina Armengol and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. The visit follows the king’s recent condemnation of the large influx of migrants at the Tarajal border and his call for European support.
Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the two cities, has signaled that it will respond to the royal presence, with defense officials evaluating potential threats. The trip is expected to coincide with the upcoming Ibero-American summit in Madrid later this year.
Why it matters
The royal trip highlights Spain's handling of migration pressures and its diplomatic friction with Morocco over Ceuta and Melilla.
How this story developed
- Aug 21 Spanish police detain five suspected migrant smugglers operating from Ceuta
- Sep 13 Minister Sira Rego urged autonomous communities to assume responsibility for Ceuta’s unaccompanied minors.
- Sep 13 The foreign minister announced an urgent trip to Brussels for talks with EU officials.
- Sep 16 The Guardia Civil raided a cramped apartment on Real street in central Ceuta, finding 25 migrants - six of them minors - living in squalid conditions.
- Sep 18 The Audiencia Nacional's Contentious‑Administrative Chamber approved the use of Ceuta port for a temporary migrant shelter.
- Sep 18 about 850 migrants were settled in 50 tents at the port while others returned to beach camps
- Sep 19 The port camp filled within hours, leaving many migrants still without shelter on the streets and beaches.
- Sep 24 Sánchez formally requested explanations and corrective measures from Morocco.
- Sep 26 Morocco’s foreign minister announced the country's readiness to receive Ceuta migrants at the UN General Assembly.
- Sep 26 Thousands gathered in Madrid for a second “March for Dignity”, calling for snap elections and the expulsion of migrants who arrived in Ceuta.
- Sep 26 A second “March for Dignity” was held in Madrid, drawing tens of thousands of participants.
- Sep 27 Ceuta residents marched demanding stronger border controls and an end to sexual assaults.
- Sep 28 Frontex added that the western Mediterranean corridor recorded a 34% rise.
- Oct 1 etc
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