Spain's Interior Ministry announced that those entering the country illegally via Ceuta and Melilla on the Moroccan border will not gain the right to stay in Spain, travel to the mainland, or move freely in Europe. In a written statement, the ministry stressed that such entries carry serious life-threatening risks.
The statement noted that a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court clarified procedures for those arriving by sea but did not amend the Immigration Law. It added that the court decision did not declare the rejection of entry requests at the border illegal, did not create a new entry route, and did not prevent return procedures.
The statement said security measures continue on the Spain-Morocco border, and reported that the 500-meter floating barrier at the Tarajal breakwater was reinforced in line with the court ruling. It announced that almost all those who crossed the border on July 30 were returned to Morocco.
The statement recalled that a two-stage border control is applied in Ceuta and Melilla. It stressed that after the first check at the Moroccan border, Schengen controls are carried out for sea or air travel to mainland Spain, and no one whose identity is not verified by police can board a ship or plane.
The ministry announced that the extraordinary legalization process is not linked to these events, that the measure only covers people living in Spain before January 1, 2026, and that those who entered the country on July 30 cannot benefit from this process. The statement included the phrase, 'The only way is the legal way.'
On July 30, more than 800 irregular migrants attempting to swim from the coast of Fnideq, Morocco, to Spain's Ceuta were intercepted. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had announced that the government mobilized all available resources in response to the incident.
The Spanish government had decided to deploy armed forces to the region to ensure security following an increase in irregular migration attempts to Ceuta. The number of irregular migrants who lost their lives while trying to cross from Morocco to Spain had risen to 88.
