Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Spain to protest the government's response to a significant influx of migrants into the Spanish city of Ceuta. Authorities reported that approximately 50,000 people participated in protests in Madrid alone, expressing anger towards Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez amid an ongoing migrant crisis.
The demonstrations followed an incident in late July when over 70,000 migrants reportedly crossed the border from neighboring Morocco into Ceuta. Thousands of these individuals remain in Spanish territory.
Ceuta's regional leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, stated that the events of late July constituted "the violation of Spain's territorial integrity" rather than a migratory crisis.
Recent days have also seen Ceuta residents taking direct action, dismantling and burning makeshift migrant shelters within the city. Videos from August 27, 2026, depict protesters carrying Spanish flags, moving towards beachside migrant camps, destroying shelters, and setting fires, while law enforcement attempted to maintain separation between demonstrators and migrants.
Prime Minister Sanchez has attributed the migrant surge in July to a misinterpretation of a Spanish Supreme Court ruling, suggesting that Russian and Israeli networks, alongside far-right groups, amplified the situation through social media disinformation. According to Reuters, Sanchez cited research from the European Union’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service, in his remarks to radio station SER on August 31.
These accusations have been met with denials. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, stated that "Without facts, without materials backed up by numbers, dates, names, there is simply nothing to talk about." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Sanchez of "lying shamelessly" and suggested the Spanish leader was attempting to deflect from domestic policy failures, posting on X.
The protests underscore the deep divisions and tensions surrounding immigration policies and border security in Spain. The situation in Ceuta remains a focal point for public discontent and political debate.
